When I was growing up as a vegetarian teenager, I discovered my love of whole foods from healthfood shops which, back in the 1970s usually had a wonderfully complex aroma of spices, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, all full of ingredients from the mainstream to the obscure. One product I came across back then was apple butter, a creamy, apple jam with a wonderful texture that I presume was the result of the natural pectin in the apples. It is a rare find these days, but fortunately it’s very easy to make, and stores well, too, preserving floury, past-their-best apples for a rainy day.
