Apple Butter Wedding Favors

This sweet little favor of homemade apple butter is sure to please your wedding guests. Each batch makes 18 small jars.

You will need: 6 lbs of cooking apples (about 18-20 depending on size) / 8 cups apple juice / zest and juice of a lemon / 1 cup sugar / 1/4 cup packed brown sugar / 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses / 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon / 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves / 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.

Wash, stem, quarter and core all of the apples leaving the skin intact. Place apples in a heavy pot with apple juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, until soft (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Press apples through a food mill or medium strainer. Puree if desired in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and pour mixture back into the pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into a roasting pan. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake until mixture sets up on the back of a spoon (about 8 hours).

As the apple butter thickens (after about 4 hours) begin adding the reserved mixture to the pan in fourths and combining after every hour until finished.