Did I Underprocess?

[Krissy]

Hello!

I made apple butter for the first time ever and am wondering if I underprocessed...

My first batch came out gorgeous and dark and carmelized (crock pot, added the spices in the beginning) and I processed my half pints in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

My second batch I added the spices after making the sauce and it turned out much lighter - it’s thick and tastes great but definitely isn’t carmelized. I also processed the half pints for 10 minutes

I added no sugar but did add acid (lemon juice), so my question is - should I have used apple sauce processing times since I didn’t add the sugar? I just did the jars last night, so if so am I correct in thinking they can still be saved by throwing them in the fridge for short term or freezer for longer term?

This is my first post, thank you in advance!

 

[LongTimeCook]

No, Krissy you did not underprocess. The spices are meant to be cooked throughout the entire process. The cinnamon, cloves, etc., add the deep brown color to the mixture and add a depth of flavor that unfortunately did not come through on the second batch.


You may be mistaking the color for caramelizing but more than likely it's because of adding the spices at the end. Apples have natural sugar in them, quite a bit in fact, so a caramelizing does occur whether you add the spices or not.