Canning question

[Melissa in St Louis]

I'm making apple butter (first time) and canning it (first time for that, too). Is it ok to put the first batch in the fridge for the day and do the canning tonight? Does the apple butter need to be warm when I put it in the jars? I'm making several batches and wanted to do the canning all at once.

 

Thank you so much!!!! :)

[Amber in SJ]

I can apple butter every year. In my experience, the answer is yes the apple butter has to be hot. In fact everything has to be hot. Jars, lids, what is going into the jar, etc.

 

I have been in your shoes where I have needed to make it a two day process and what I did was after the apple butter had cooked down to the desired texture I refrigerated it. The next day before I was ready to can, I put the apple butter back into my big crockpot and brought it back up to the temperature I wanted. Then it was on with the canning.

 

FYI carmels melted into the apple butter or a handful of cinnamon red hots (the candy) make lovely additions.

 

I love the way the house smells when we are canning apple butter.

 

Amber in SJ

[Melissa in St Louis]

Thanks, Amber!!!!!! Oh mygoodness -- adding caramels sounds AMAZING!!!! Then I might not part with any of it, though! ;)

 

Thanks!

[cjzimmer1]

I've never made apple butter, but I know when I did some of my other canning and googled them many had instructions for hot pack and cold pack. I've never used the cold packed method but I guess that's what you would be looking for. I found it easier to just heat my stuff back up when I was ready to can.