Fireball Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between apple sauce and apple butter? ›

Apple butter and applesauce are similar. The key difference is that applesauce is made with water and sugar and fewer spices. Applesauce is also eaten on its own as a snack or as a side dish while apple butter, with its more concentrated flavor, is used as a condiment or topping for toast or muffins.

Whether you're barbecuing, roasting, or using it as a marinade, this sauce adds a smoky and tangy kick to elevate your dishes. To use American Garden BBQ Sauce Original, generously brush it onto your preferred protein, such as chicken, ribs, or burgers, before grilling or cooking.

Historians do know that apple butter can be traced back to Germany and Belgium during the Middle Ages. The practice was likely brought to Appalachia by the Pennsylvania Dutch, who migrated to Western North Carolina after the American Revolutionary War.

Apple jam is like apple butter in that it features apples cooked down over a long period of time. However, apple jam is thinner in consistency, lighter in color, and often includes bits of fruit, whereas apple butter is thicker, darker in color (thanks to caramelization) and blended until smooth.

I recommend using Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, or Gala. Don't use Granny Smith; they are too tart and firm for this recipe. Weigh your apples before coring and chopping.

Tomato-Based Sauce

Tomato-based BBQ condiments became the most common in America during the middle 20th century. This type of sauce counterpoints sweet tones with vinegar and often has some sort of pepper. It is used all over the USA but is most prevalent in St. Louis, Memphis, and Kansas City.

American BBQ, also known as barbecue, is a style of cooking that originated in the southern United States. It involves slow-cooking meats, such as pork, beef, and chicken, over indirect heat from wood or charcoal. The meats are typically marinated or rubbed with a mixture of spices and sauces before being cooked.

Ingredients vary, but most include vinegar or tomato paste (or a combination) as a base, as well as liquid smoke, onion powder, spices such as mustard and black pepper, and sweeteners such as sugar or molasses.

Apple-Butter in Pennsylvania. One of the most delicious dishes among our Pennsylvania German farmers is apple butter. It is made in the fall of the year, of ripe apples and pure sweet cider.

"Apple butter" means smooth talk or flattery.

What is the point of apple butter? ›

Bread, muffins, cakes, tarts, hand pies, and of course traditional Appalachian Stack Cake are just the beginning! Apple butter adds a moist texture with hints of fruity goodness and spices. It speaks of fall – but brings a cozy comfort in those bitter days of winter.

Keep cooking applesauce past the stage where it's, well, saucy, and you'll get apple butter. Continue to cook the sauce and it begins to caramelize and thicken, making it almost jam-like.

Apple butter is made by slowly cooking pureed apples for over an hour. The sugars in the apples caramelize as the puree cooks, giving the apple butter its rich, sweet flavor and dark color. In contrast to what the name implies, there is no "butter" in apple butter. The name comes from its smooth and buttery texture.

While apple butter does contain some sugar, it is a healthier alternative to peanut butter, so long as you stick to the serving size. Apples not only help keep the doctor away, but also provide a lot of fiber that aids in digestion as well as vitamins B and C.

But when it comes down to it, both applesauce and apple butter can often be exchanged in baking recipes — especially when used as a replacement for some of the butter, oil, or eggs. Try this in our No Butter Choco-Chip Cookies or Yummy Applesauce Bread.

Plus, because applesauce has a high water content, your baked goods will stay moist and fresh longer. Applesauce can be used as a direct replacement for oil or melted butter in baking, meaning in a 1:1 ratio.