Crockpot Apple Butter

If you are not familiar with Apple Butter allow me to explain…there is no butter in Apple Butter. It’s spicy applesauce that’s cooked til it caramelizes and turns into a concentrated fruit spread for toast, muffins or in cookies or fruit bars etc.

You can use Fuji, Gala, Macintosh, Jonagold and toss in a few Granny Smith.

Peel and core 6 pounds of apples. That’s 10-12 medium apples. 

Slice or chunk apples and put in the crockpot/slow cooker.

In a bowl mix:1 cup of white sugar1 cup brown sugar (I use 1/2 dark & 1/2 light brown sugar) 

Add 1 TB of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp salt
Later you’ll need:1 TB vanilla 

Mix sugar and spices and add to apples. Toss apples to coat.

Put the lid on the crockpot and set the crockpot on low. Next,  set your timer for 10 hours. Yes, 10 hours!

In 10 hours take the lid off and add 1 TB vanilla extract. Stir and leave uncovered simmering on low for 2 more hours.

When time’s up use an immersion hand blender or potato masher and carefully (because its dangerously hot!) smash any pieces that are left intact.

You’ll have a deep brown smooth apple spread. You can refrigerate it til its cool then pour into jars and keep refrigerated. No canning process is necessary.

This recipe makes 4 generous pints.

Enjoy,

Johnnie