Apple Butter -Take Two

Earlier this week, I decided to make apple butter. The first recipe was:
Approximately 4 pounds of apples (Fuji, Golden Supreme, Gala and Yellow Delicious. Most were picked from Carter's Mountain: the Fuji was from a friend from work.)
3 cups of apple juice
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. coriander (my touch...I love coriander
Juice of one lemon

I peeled and diced the apples. Place them in a large pot and put in the apple juice (Juice should not cover apples completely). Cooked for 30 minutes and then used my hand held Braun to make applesauce. I then placed the applesauce in a pan with the rest of the ingredients and placed in the oven at 300 degrees. (This keeps you from having to stir the mixture constantly.) I had it in the oven for 3 hours and it did not seem to be thickening. It tasted really good (however, I figured it just wasn't quite right since I don't normally like apple butter). I took it out, placed it in the pot on the stove, and cooked on medium high for another thirty minutes. It still tasted good...this must not be right. My boyfriend (who I made it for actually) said it was a little sweet and needed more spice but still good. Guess that is why I liked it. My co-workers and I did finish a jar. They thought it was good but not quite apple butter. All that work, and I only got five small jars.


Tonight, I tried my second batch with some changes to the recipe.
7 pounds of apples (ginger gold, golden supreme, and yellow delicious this time...ginger gold from a local grocery store)
2 cups apple juice
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of coriander (still love it)
2 cups of sugar
juice of one lemon

This time, I cooked the apples in a mixture of juice and water. After cooking cut apples for 1/2 hour, I drained 80% of the liquid out of the apples and then made applesauce. This time it must be more like apple butter because, I don't like it as much. I also cooked it on top of the stove for 1 1/2 hours. I have a blister on my wrist from the bubbling action. It made 7 small jars and does not move when I tilt the jar...success!