Red apple butter? Maybe it has red hot cinnamon candies in it? Some applesauce is rosy depending upon the variety of apple, but I haven't encountered red apple butter.

If it's runny it just hasn't been cooked long enough. It's not a safety issue, but again, it'd be more like a spiced applesauce. Depending on the flavor, it might be good with pork.

Generally apple butter is used like jam, on toast for example. Some people like it on pancakes or waffles. It can also be an ingredient in cakes. Applesauce cake, but you have the additional spices. It works well for that. If you're trying to use it up, the cake is what I'd go for. It doesn't sound like it has the right consistency for true apple butter.

Carol

Is the consistency supposed to be the same as jelly?

The term "butter" refers to the thick, soft consistency, and its use as a spread for breads.
Fruit butters are sweet spreads made by cooking fruit pulp with sugar to a thick consistency. Spices are often added. Butters are not gelled.

The jams would be gelled. The fruit butters are cooked until they mound up on a spoon. Sounds like what you have been given is as Carol said, not cooked long enough.

As Linda Lou said, true apple butter has a thick, soft consistency. You should be able to heap it on a spoon with no liquid seeping out. It doesn't jell because it doesn't have enough sugar and it isn't cooked to the jell point. That's why I doubted what you have is a true apple butter.

Carol

So it's normal that it moves around in the jar? Not sloshing but flows with gravity. I haven't opened it yet.

No, again, real apple butter is thicker. It doesn't "slosh around" or flow. Imagine an ultra-dense applesauce and that's apple butter. It isn't jelled but thick enough that it just sits where it is. (Obviously your apple butter doesn't meet that criterion.)

Carol

Hmmm, how to explain the consistancy of apple butter... on my imaginary consistancy scale it falls kind of between pudding on the softer end and peanut butter on the stiffer end. :^)

Sometimes I've had apple butters be a bit on the runny side but they've never managed to be red. Perhaps as someone mentioned before, red hot cinnamons were used for flavoring? Either that or red food coloring?

Apple butter is generally made by starting with apple sauce, adding spices, generally cinnamon and sometimes nutmeg and other spices and then cooking it until it is the consistency of pudding or even a bit thicker. It can take hours and when it gets late and I'm tired of the whole thing, I'll can it a bit on the runny side, but it is still perfectly edible and tasty, just better for pancakes than toast.

Have you tried opening the jar yet? It should smell like cinnamon apples.

on the apple butter conversation any one got a good apple butter recipie my wife loves that stuff and it has to be better than store bought when you make it yourself

here is a really easy and yummy recipe.

2- 3 pounds (50 oz) jars unsweetened apple sauce
3 pounds granny smith apples
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice

Peel and cut apples into small chips. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and stir. Cover and cook on low overnight (eight to ten hours). Remove cover, stir and taste. Add more spices or sugar if desired. Continue cooking for a few more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid has evaporated and butter has cooked down a bit. Pour into jars and place in water bath for 10 mins

I just made apple butter for the first time and have the same question about the texture. I've never had it before and assumed it would be more like jelly. Mine passes the spoon test that was mentioned in previous posts, but I'd say it's the same texture as applesauce. I just checked YouTube videos and it appears anyone using a pressure cooker had the same results as me. I did see some pictures there too of one's done in a crockpot and they look THICK. I would call mine a premium applesauce. Oh well. Wish mine was a bit thicker.

I found comments on another site where the posters claim it's not supposed to be like a jam or jelly. It's supposed to spread like peanut butter.

I found comments on another site where the posters claim it's not
supposed to be like a jam or jelly. It's supposed to spread like peanut
butter.

That is pretty accurate but perhaps not quite as thick as peanut butter. I'd probably compare it to more like mayo. But yes apple butter is a 'spread', a 'butter', and not like a jam or jelly.

But the thickness all depends on how you cook it. Can't imagine using a pressure cooker to make it unless you leave the lid off as that wouldn't allow for the needed water evaporation.

Dave

When pressure cooking and it's done, you put it on saute for 45 - 90 minutes to cook it down. There was a spoon test where it should keep it's roundness and 2 of the recipes I found before making it said to put a plate in the freezer and put a spoon of it on it. It's not supposed to run. Mine looked the same at 45 minutes as it did at 90--it didn't run, just about an 1/8" of a liquidy border around it. Still held it's shape too. Both recipes said it would firm up in the fridge, but it didn't.

This sounds like one of the InstaPot instructions, correct? If so then no it isn't going to have the same consistency as normally cooked apple butter. Apple butter usually requires at least a couple of hours or more of open-to-the-air to cook down sufficiently. I guess you could try doubling the 45 min time recommended if you want to go that route.

I'm sure it is edible as is but it won't be traditional apple butter.

Dave

Yes, Instant Pot recipe. It is good, but not what I expected. I would call it a premium applesauce. lol

Thanks for the info but I already put them in 250 ml jars right after cooling yesterday and most are in the freezer. Next time I will do it in a crockpot or oven.