1. Peel, core, and dice apples (if using applesauce, skip to step four)
2. Place apples, brown sugar, and spices in a large pan and add about 1 1/2 cups of water, place lid on pot and bring apples to a simmer over medium heat
3. When apples are tender, mash, or puree
4. Place back over medium-low heat and simmer until apple sauce has thickened to a thicker, apple butter consistency
5. While apple sauce is cooking down, make the caramel sauce
6. Stir white sugar and water together in a 2 quart saucepan or skillet, and heat slowly over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves
7. Increase heat to medium and boil sugar until it begins to brown
8. Once sugar has browned to a caramel color, remove from heat and add butter and heavy cream
9. Sugar may seize. If this happens, place back over heat and stir until the sauce is smooth
10. Add vanilla and salt
11. Stir into thickened apple butter
12. Let apple butter cool, and put in tight-lidded containers to store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks

To can:

1. ladle hot apple butter into sterilized canning jars
2. Fit with lids and rings
3. Place in a canning kettle fitted with a canning rack, and filled with hot water
4. Make sure water covers jars by at least an inch
5. Place lid on kettle and bring to a rolling boil
6. Continue boiling pint jars for 25 minutes, or half pints for 20 minutes
7. Remove from heat and let cool before removing jars from kettle to reduce risk of breakage
8. Once jars have cooled enough to remove from water, let sit overnight to seal
9. Any jars that don’t seal can be stored in the refigerator for up to two weeks, or remove lids, clean rims, fit with new lids, and can again