Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 250 ml jars
- Headspace: 1/4 inch (0.5 cm)
- Processing: 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Apple Butter Honey — Bernardin. The source and WPRM card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Complete every preparation and cooking stage in the card.
- Hot-pack, process for jar size and elevation, wait 5 minutes, and cool upright for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 250 ml jars with lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients as documented.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack and maintain 1/4 inch (0.5 cm).
- Process under at least 1 inch of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Keep the tested apple, cider, cinnamon, allspice, and pasteurized-liquid-honey proportions and cook to the documented fruit-butter stage.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
Apple Butter Honey — Bernardin is a tested Bernardin preserve.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient, and confirm your elevation.
Altitude-adjusted processing
10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Apple Butter Honey — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 5 lb (2.3 kg) apples, MacIntosh, Golden Delicious, Empire
- 2 cups (500 ml) apple cider
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground allspice
- 1 cup (250 ml) pasteurized liquid honey
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
- 1 Jelly or candy thermometer
Directions
- Wash and coarsely chop apples. Place apples and apple cider in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil; stirring occasionally and mashing apples. Simmer covered until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Press mixture through a sieve or food mill and measure 7-1/2 cups (1875 ml) applesauce.
- Place 6 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Combine apple purée and spices in a clean large stainless steel or enamel saucepan; stirring occasionally, bring to a boil.
- If desired, add 1/2 tsp (2 ml) butter or vegetable oil to reduce foaming. Reduce heat and boil gently for 30 minutes. Add honey and continue cooking for 30 minutes more or until apple spread mounds on a spoon or desired thickness is reached.
- Quickly ladle hot butter into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more fruit butter. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining fruit butter. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water.
- Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 10 minutes.* When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.
- After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.
- For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 10 minutes - 10 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process -boil filled jars - 10 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve or use according to the preserve’s fruit, sauce, spread, or condiment profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar sizes and matching times.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
This tested preserve is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator preparation.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar. Discard spoiled food without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only.