Le Nièr Beurre

Name: Le Nièr Beurre
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 l/34 fl oz/4 cups cider/hard cider; 1.3 kg/3 lb eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced; grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; 4 cm/1½ in piece of liquorice stick, very finely chopped; 350 g/12 oz/scant 1⅔ cups granulated sugar per 600 ml/21 fl oz/scant 2½ cups of purée; 350 g/12 oz/scant 1⅔ cups granulated sugar per 600 ml/21 fl oz/scant 2½ cups of purée; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground allspice; ½ tsp ground cloves

Preparation info

Makes about:
1.9 kg

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
2 hr 30

Appears in

The Art of Preserving

By Emma MacDonald

Published 2021

About

Black butter, a traditional delicacy from Jersey (the largest of the Channel Islands), was usually made in autumn, when groups of men and children would gather the apples while the women peeled them. It is rich, spicy and dark, as its name suggests. Serve spread on fresh crusty bread or as an accompaniment to cold meats.

Ingredients

1 l/34 fl oz/4 cups cider/hard cider
1.3

Starter
Side dish
Vegan
Gluten-free
Autumn

Method

Pour the cider into a large, heavy-based saucepan, bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes until reduced by half.
Add the apple slices and simmer for about 40 minutes until the apples are soft and pulpy. Stir from time to time to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the lemon zest and juice and liquorice and