Introduction
Apple butter is known as a condiment that is used in so many recipes from cakes, cinnamon rolls to bacon-wrapped shrimp and popcorn. Due to the versatile in uses and the yummy taste, this kind of butter is very preferred by a lot of people.
As its name, the main ingredient of apple butter is nothing else but apples, combined with sugar, salt, cinnamon and some other spice per preference.
We all know that apples are one of the healthiest fruit so what about the apple butter which is primarily made from apples?
In fact, apple butter contains no fat and has plenty of nutrients so it’s quite good for our health, but of course, less than fresh apples.
Nevertheless, with a high level of sugar in the butter, it’s not recommended to consume apple butter frequently, especially for those who want to lose weight or are likely to face dental disease.
In general, apple butter is still a delicious and good condiment and to turn it healthier, you can consider to make some at home but it will definitely more expensive and take time so buying a processed can or jar of apple butter is not a bad choice.
When getting prepared apple butter on hand, you might be curious if it can be used after the best-by date on the label or how to store properly to maintain peak quality as it’s almost infeasible to consume the entire in any recipe. Don’t worry, we will help you answer all these questions in this article.
How long does apple butter last?
The shelf life of apple butter will vary depending on the condition of the bottle of butter. It’s unnecessary to keep unopened apple butter in the fridge or freezer since leaving it in the pantry at room temperature is safe enough for a really long time.
You can even consume apple butter that pasts the expiration date on the label if there is no spoilage. One note, homemade apple butter will have a shorter shelf-life time. For further details, check the following table:
| Pantry | Fridge | Freezer | |
| Unopened apple butter | 2 years | ||
| Opened apple butter | 1 year | 1-2 year |
How to tell if apple butter goes bad?
If your unopened jar of apple butter is undamaged and stored at the proper place, it’s unlikely to turn bad. Oppositely, once the jar or bottle of apple butter is opened and exposes to the air and moisture, it might be changed in the texture or flavor.
Give it a smell and if it’s an unpleasant odor, the apple butter should be discarded off. When the eye-identifications is hard to realize, if needed, you can try tasting the butter before deciding to keep or toss it.
How to store apple butter?
As mentioned, apple butter is quite easy to be preserved at room temperature if it is contained in a safe can or bottle. Once you open the bottle, you need to keep it cold in a fridge or freezer to extend the life-span time of the apple butter. Remember, since homemade apple butter is easier to be spoiled so you better store it more carefully in the fridge or freezer.
Can you freeze apple butter?
Yes, you can totally freeze apple butter to make it last up to over a year. It’s not a challenging task so you can easily freeze it following our simple instruction below
How to freeze apple butter?
Now you are going to learn how to freeze apple butter properly in just some simple steps and interesting tips to avoid or should do to make the freezing process become more effectively
Tips to freeze apple butter
- It’s recommended to portion the apple sauce into suitable size containing in each jar or freezer container. This allows you to thaw the appropriate amount of apple butter when needed
- Remember to leave ½ to 1 inch head space in each container to allow the apple butter to expand during the freezing time
Things you’ll need to freeze apple butter
- Freezer-safe containers
- A ladle
How to freeze apple butter
- If you freezer unopened apple butter, just directly put the bottle in the freezer (if you already opened the bottle of apple butter, ladle the butter to the freezer containers)
- Label the containers then stick them in the freezer
How to defrost/ thaw apple butter?
Defrosting apple butter doesn’t call for any special utensils and is really simple to do.
It’s recommended to thaw your frozen apple butter gradually in the fridge in several hours or if you want to use apple butter in the next morning, just leave it overnight in the fridge. Do not thaw it on the counter top at room temperature, or at least submerge the bottle in a bowl of ice cold water if you don’t want to use the fridge.
Once the apple butter is thawed, you must store it in the refrigerator up to three weeks for the best quality.
