A conserve of apples, cider, brandy, and spices, Irish Black Butter has a uniquely deep, caramelized apple flavor with subtle spice notes and an almost earthy, smoky finish. It’s made by cooking down the country’s famous Armagh Bramley apples until they developed a rich molasses-like quality and warm complexity; the apples themselves have a Protected Geographic Indication recognized by the European Union. Irish Black Butter has an excellent smooth, spreadable texture that is a bit thicker than store-bought apple butters; it isn’t silky or gelatinous on the tongue but rather has a very fine granularity like any good homemade apple butter. We absolutely love this award-winning paste for its depth of flavor—it’s the best apple butter you’ll ever have.

With its rich concentrated apple cider taste and distinct but balanced tartness, this jelly is heads above typical apple jellies. Plus, it contains no sweeteners or preservatives. Wood’s Cider Mill in Weathersfield, Vermont, has been producing its small-batch cider in its 19th century cider press since 1882. The apples are ground and pressed through the screw-press, after which the cider is reduced in a wood-fired, stainless steel evaporator until it is a thick spreadable jam. The cider from 30 to 50 apples is concentrated into every resulting pound of cider jelly, which is a touch sour, sweet and mildly tannic, with notes of caramel and cinnamon.

This thick, syrupy apple cider captures the essence of an apple orchard in a bottle. Simple, versatile and highly concentrated, this boiled cider has the consistency of pourable jelly, making it a perfect topping for pancakes or ice cream, a delicious warm drink component, or a flavor agent for braises and sauces. We are fans of this boiled cider because it contains no sweeteners or preservatives. Wood’s Cider Mill in Weathersfield, Vermont, has been producing this small-batch boiled cider in its 19th century cider press since 1882. The apples are ground and pressed through the screw-press, after which the cider is reduced in a wood-fired, stainless steel evaporator. A gallon of cider is concentrated down to a pint to create a rich flavor evocative of cinnamon, caramel and candy apples. It has a mild touch of tannins but remains balanced between sweet and tart.

Produced from hand-picked apples, not the low-grade and windfall apples most companies use, and aged in oak barrels for two years before bottling, Little Apple Treats cider is bright and sharp, with a bold apple flavor and subtle caramel tones contributed by the barrel aging. This is the best American apple cider vinegar we’ve tasted, every bit on par with the fancy, expensive French stuff from Normandy.