Build Me Up Apple-Pumpkin Buttercup

Ever since mom passed, I think I adapted to the old fashion jam/preserve making wife. All I need to start making now is pie. I’m not really a big pie fan but the occasional pie is always good. I’m moreso a cheesecake person but I can’t really do dairy anymore nor soy so unless there’s a rice cream cheese or something along those lines, I can’t have cheesecake. Eesh, that’s depressing. But when I’m depressed, I find cooking helps.

So I made Apple PUMPKIN butter. Best of both worlds baby. This stuff, I assure you, will be good on anything you can image: meats, toast, pancakes and even a fat substitute in baking. If you do use it as a butter substitute, be aware that it will taste “autumn” and sweet. Go for it if that’s the flavors you intend. I’d imagine it’d do wonders for pork.

Yes yes me and pork again.

Pumpkin Apple Butter (Makes roughly 1 3/4 cups)
8 ½ oz apple
8 oz pumpkin
¾ cup sugar substitute
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Cinnamon
All Spice
Cloves

Cut the apple in quarters - without coring or skinning - , put it into a deep pot with one tablespoon of vinegar and enough water to cover it. Bring it up to a boil and let it boil until the apple is soft which takes about thirty minutes. In the mean time, cook your pumpkin along the same lines unless you’re making life easier by using the canned stuff.
If that’s the case, just pay attention to your apple.

Here comes the fun part. If you happen to have a food mill this will be easy. Simply press the apple through the chinois sleeve or mill and there you have a pretty apple sauce. If you don’t, like me, get a very fine mesh strainer or sifter and press the apple pulp through the small holes. Eventually, you’ll get a very fine pulpy apple sauce. It just cannot be chunky otherwise it won’t be “butter”. Repeat by doing the same to the pumpkin.

After you have both pulps finely “milled/sifted”, pour it back into the drained pot and add the sugar and seasonings. Bring this to a boil then simmer until it thickens while constantly stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once there becomes a good amount of resistance against the spoon, take it off the heat and set aside to cool.

Once cooled, pour that beautiful concoction into a jar, refrigerate, and imagine all the possibilities that apple pumpkin butter can bring.

I still want to make more jams..Hmm..all that mint..Mint jelly? To the store for pectin, ho!

And to Ebay for a 40s style skirt. Phil did say I'd look sexy in one..or is he saying it because of the jam? I think it's the jam.