For me, it’s just not fall unless there is at least one apple picking outing. It’s been a family tradition since I was little — even though I actually fell out of an apple tree and broke my leg when I was 5. It wasn’t the tree’s fault.

And we never bring home a normal amount of apples — by normal, I mean the amount a family could eat before they start to soften. The baking would ensue: apples pies with streusel toppings, apple crisps with poofs of homemade whipped cream, apple coffee cakes, apple muffins.

But lately, I’ve been craving apple butter, a concentrated puree of autumn’s favorite fruit (mine, anyhow). Contrary to what the name suggests, there is no butter in apple butter. The name refers to the fact that this slow-cooked, thick, sweetened-and-spiced apple spread can be swiped across toast, muffins, etc., in place of butter.

The main difference between apple sauce and apple butter is the thickness. Apple butter is cooked for longer and reduces down to a thicker consistency.

You can use any apples to make apple butter. Softer apples will cook down faster and get to that smooth texture more easily. Try McIntosh, Fuji or Yellow Delicious. The amount of sugar you want to add depends on the sweetness or tartness of the apples. I suggest starting with ½ cup, tasting toward the end, and then adjusting the amount of sugar and spices as desired.

There are two ways to see if your apple butter has cooked down to the desired thickness. A spoonful of the apple butter should remain mounded on the spoon, and not slowly drip off. Or, place the spoonful of apple butter on a plate, and liquid should not seep out from around the edges.

APPLE BUTTER

Makes 1 1/2 cups, serves 12 people

Ingredients

3 pounds apples (such as Try McIntosh, Fuji, or Yellow Delicious)

½ cup water

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

Wash the apples, then quarter and core them.

Place the apples with the water in a large, heavy pot. Bring the apples to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the apples, uncovered, until they are very tender and starting to fall apart, about 25 minutes (some apples will take longer than others). Stir frequently. You can add a few more tablespoons of water if needed so the apples can get fall-apart mushy without sticking to the pot or burning.

Remove from the heat and press the apples, along with any remaining liquid in the pot, through a food mill. Discard the solids periodically to make the pureeing faster.

Rinse out the pot and return the pureed apples to the pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir frequently until the mixture has thickened and smells great, about 5 minutes. Add up to another ½ cup of sugar as needed to reach the desired sweetness.

Seal the jars and refrigerate for up to three weeks.