Recommendations For Kinds of Apples for Apple Butter?

 Well, since I have never made this before, and being pregnant I am craving Apple Butter TERRIBLY...so I am going to venture into the whole canning arena. My main problem is overall I am not a big apple person, and I have no clue as to what type of apples here in Scotland would be best for this adventure? Such as tart-vs-sweet etcetc. In the end I just want something that tastes reasonably like what you can get at Cracker Barrel or from a jar in the states. And if anyone has a good tried and true recipe I would love it (so far am looking at slow cooker ones as they seem the easiest )
Thanks!

I have never made apple butter, but this post made me so nostalgic for some apple butter or warm cinnamon bread!

I looked up some recipes and they all said a mix of half tart & half sweet. I would go to a market and ask someone at a fruit stand for the best local sweet/tart apples. Also it seems to be better to go more on the tart side.

http://community.stretcher.com/forums/p/12860/134163.aspx
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2009/06/best-apples-for-apple-butter.html

I think I will try making this too!

I have never made apple butter, but this post made me so nostalgic for some apple butter or warm cinnamon bread!

I looked up some recipes and they all said a mix of half tart & half sweet. I would go to a market and ask someone at a fruit stand for the best local sweet/tart apples. Also it seems to be better to go more on the tart side.

http://community.stretcher.com/forums/p/12860/134163.aspx
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2009/06/best-apples-for-apple-butter.html

I think I will try making this too!

ooooh, cinnamon bread! That sounds amazing.

DH (who worked produce for years!) suggests sweets like Braeburn or Pink Lady's (PL's being the sweetest) and for tart Bramley's. Also, says if you want to put a twist on it instead of using a sweet apple use dessert pears instead (yum yum).

 Well, so far here are the recipes I am stuck between

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Apple-Butter/Detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Supreme-Apple-Butter/Detail.aspx

Not sure about the frozen apple juice concentrate here tho? maybe squash or something instead?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/All-Day-Apple-Butter/Detail.aspx

they all seem fairly fool proof(so I say for the time being ) And most reviews seem to say to cut down the sugar... so thinking use about half, then part way thru taste it and see. Been so long since I have had it I can't remember if I liked it really sweet or not. My sis said she had a copy cat recipe for Cracker Barrel's, so will post it whenever she sends it to me. And I think I will go with more tart like one, maybe  2/3 tart to 1/3 sweet? Oh, to just be able to go to a store, Betty Crocker I am not!

But this will be being SLATHERED on some Baking Powder Biscuits! And probably anything else that can be slathered :p

When I made my batch last fall, I went for the sweet apples at the orchard stall on the market. I think they were Spartans and some russet-types, too. I prefer the happy native English varieties than the big, commercial, mass-produced supermarket varieties (if you read up on Pink Lady, the whole concept of an owned and copyrighted fruit is just plain WRONG!), but this time of year the local orchards aren't quite producing yet so you can't be too choosy.

If you use sweet apples, then you can use less dark brown sugar (or molasses)! I found apple butter to be REALLY easy to make - certainly less effort than my apple jelly/preserves!

 Well, I am heading off to the store later today to pick up stuff to make my multiple food cravings
 I believe I am going to go with a mix of mostly Bramley with 1/4 of something mildly sweet. Will probably throw a bit of my apple pie spice mix in there too...but all depends on how it tastes half way thru.

Also, says if you want to put a twist on it instead of using a sweet apple use dessert pears instead (yum yum).

 I will see how my apple butter comes out, and then try my had at some pear butter...that sounds soo good, and would probably make some great muffins!

 Will let y'all know how it all comes out

Mmmm... that sounds yummy! I think I'll hold off from satisfying my apple butter craving until the autumn, though. Like squirrellypoo, I prefer lovely local apples, so I'll wait until my farm shop has them.