Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Perhaps we should have named this apple week? While both Cat and I unintentionally made apples the focus for our posts, it does seem timely that we did. With apple season in full swing it is the perfect time to learn new ways in which to use this delicious fruit. And this won’t be the last. I have an apple bread recipe to share next week!

I grew up eating my grandmother’s apple butter which always turned out amazing. I have never attempted it before and I’m so glad I finally did. This recipe turned out so much like hers but without all the extra work. By using my slow cooker I not only created a wonderful aroma for my house, it worked wonders to break down the apples with minimal effort.

Ingredients

5 1/2 pounds (approx. 15-16 cups) of baking apples – peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 to 2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Peel and slice apples to equal 15 to 16 cups. Finely chop apples and add to crock pot. A food processor would have been good here but *gasp* can you believe I don’t have one??? Instead I chopped by hand.

Stir together sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt and pour over chopped apples.

Mix together apples and sugar mixture. Cover and heat on high for 1 to 2 hours. Stir and reduce heat to low.

Cook an additional 9 to 11 hours or until thick and dark brown, stirring occasionally.

To reduce the amount of chunks, stir with a whisk but don’t use wire as shown. (I left quite a few marks on my crock pot doing that!) A silicone whisk or hand held blender would work great.

Remove cover off crock pot and cook an additional 3-6 hours or until the mixture is a dark brown and is thick. To test for  the right consistency, place a little onto a plate or bowl and allow it to cool. If the mixture stays mounded and doesn’t get watery around the edges you know it is ready!

This recipe yields approximately 3 pints and can be kept in the refrigerator in sealed containers for up to 3-4 months. I’ve read that crockpot apple butter must be refrigerated, even if the jars are sealed since the crockpot temperatures don’t get high enough to kill bacteria. If you are interested in canning, I suggest you research further. I found these apple butter canning tips on recipetips.com

Good Baking Apples for Apple Butter

Jonathan, Cortland, MacIntosh, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Winesap apples are perfect choices. All will produce a deliciously sweet apple butter but just about any baking apple will do. Feel free to experiment with using a combination of apple varieties.  Just do not use Red Delicious as they are for eating only.

This recipe was altered from the All Day Apple Butter recipe available on allrecipes.com