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Asked what her favourite preserve is she replies: "My grandmother used to make apple butter so I like that, it's connected to something sentimental."

Jam is the expected filling, but my favorite combines layers of caramel sauce and homemade apple butter.

Beyond traditional apple pies, crisps and cakes, there are lots of apple-forward recipes, including dumplings, salads, cider-glazed chicken and apple butter.

I called the catering company, a delicious restaurant called Black Sauce, and ordered collard greens, smoked cabbage, smoked jerk brisket, curry snapper, dressing or as we call it stuffing, and apple butter biscuits.

The first is an all-you-need guide to preserving the best of California’s spectacular fruit from season to season: apple butter, berry jelly, stone fruit jam and citrus marmalade.