Time for the kitchen elves to get to work!

Over Thanksgiving break, I took the opportunity to bust out my canner and start working on some holiday treats for friends and colleagues. First up was a lovely apple butter that I made in my crock pot. Usually, I make an apple butter that is highly spiced, but I ran across a recipe for a maple vanilla apple butter that sounded heavenly, and it skips the traditional spices that would surely mask the subtler flavors of the maple and vanilla. In fact, the taste reminds one of a caramel apple. Yum! And making it in the crock pot is so easy, and saves you from being burned by the spattering! I highly recommend this apple butter for a holiday gift-giving idea.

Maple Vanilla Apple Butter
(Source: adapted from Good Cheap Eats)
Yield: 3 pints

12 Granny Smith apples, about 3 pounds, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used Macs and Cortlands)
1 cup apple cider (or juice)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Place the apples and cider or juice in a five quart slow cooker. Set on high and cook for three hours. Puree apple mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or in a food processor.

Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Continue to cook on high for another three hours. The sauce should thicken and darken and mound up on a spoon. (It won’t spread out across the spoon when you scoop some up.)

Pour apple butter into hot, sterilized jars. Fit with metal lids and bands. Place in hot water bath and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water bath and allow to cool undisturbed overnight on a towel on the counter, spacing them at least an inch apart. Once cool, remove bands and check lids for seal. Store in a cool, dark place.

My second holiday gift idea was inspired by a company that I just love that I discovered on our vacation to Maine last summer, Raye's Mustard, I had originally thought to order some of their sampler packs for Christmas presents for some of my colleagues, but then I became inspired by my friend, Carl, who reportedly makes a mean Oktoberfest beer mustard. I decided to make two varieties: a double batch of a sweet, fruity cranberry mustard, and then the German mustard that packs a real punch. I canned them in those cute little four-ounce jelly jars, and I ended up with two dozen gifts for folks at work that haven't been naughty. ;-)

Cranberry Mustard
(Source: Ball Canning)
Yield: at least 7 (4 oz.) jars

1 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 2 12-oz bag)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry mustard
2-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1.) BRING vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add mustard seeds. Cover and let stand at room temperature until seeds have absorbed most of the moisture, about 1-1/2 hours
2.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
3.) COMBINE mustard seeds and liquid, water and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor or blender. Process until slightly grainy. Add cranberries and blend until chopped.
4.) BRING cranberry mixture to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in sugar, dry mustard and allspice. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.
5.) LADLE hot mustard into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Oktoberfest Beer Mustard
(Source: adapted from Ball Canning)
Yield: at least 5 (4 oz.) jars

1-1/2 cups beer (Carl uses Guiness; I used a pumpkin ale)
1 cup brown mustard seeds (I used half brown and half yellow seeds)
1 cup water
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (I used a whole cup)
1/4 cup dry mustard
1 tablespoon onion powder

1.) COMBINE beer and mustard seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand at room temperature until seeds have absorbed most of the moisture, about two hours.
2.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
3.) PLACE mustard seeds and remaining liquid in a food processor or blender. Process until chopped and slightly grainy.
4.) TRANSFER mixture to a large saucepan. Whisk in water, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard and onion powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.
5.) LADLE hot mustard into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.