I had a friend ask for my Apple Butter recipe so here it is.
I love this easy recipe. You can't mess it up. You'll be tossing all your ingredients in a crockpot.
Dig out your crockpot. I have a 6qt. oval one, but any kind will do.
Apples: peel, core, and run through a meat grinder. (I have seen youtube videos that show people just chopping them up so either way will work.) * chopping may mean the apples will have to cook longer. Fill your crockpot almost to the top with chopped apples. then add all the other ingredients mixing well after each addition.
add 1/2-1 cup of apple cider
add about 4 cups of sugar * I use about 1/2 that amount for my husband whose diabetic. You can use all white sugar, or a mixture of white and brown sugar to fit your taste.
2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
A sprinkle of Nutmeg and cloves. * this is where your personal taste comes in. remember you can always add more, but you can't take it away. taste as you go.
Mix all well.
Turn the crockpot on high and leave it there until it starts bubbling, then turn it to low and cook until the mixture is thick 12-14 hours. If you chopped the apples the cooking down process may take longer up to 20 hrs. You can tell when your apple butter is done when you scoop up a spoonful and it holds on your spoon without sliding off. It should be a deep dark brown and smell amazing.
you can blend it with a hand mixer, or an immersion blender if you wish. This recipe makes about 8-10 half pints.
at this point you can freeze your apple butter * check online for freezing instructions.
Canning your Apple butter: *see link below
prepare your Water Bath Canner
Prepare your jars *wash and sterilize your jars according to the link above. It's very important you follow this step.
I wash mine in Hot soapy water, rinse and drain.
I put my New *don't use old lids ever! jar lids in boiling water for a couple of minutes then turn on low until I use them.
Using a ladle and a canning funnel I pour the hot apple butter into the jar leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Wipe the top of the jar with a dry cloth or paper towel
Using tongs I take a hot lid out of the water and place it on top of the jar.
Using tongs I take a hot lid out of the water and place it on top of the jar.
Get a screw band and screw it down tight.
put all your jars in the Water Bath Canner you have prepared *see link above.
Process in the canner about 15 minutes for Pints, and 10 minutes for 1/2 pints.
Remove from the canner and set on a towel until completely cool. Then check the lids and make sure they are sealed. * press on the top of the lid. Lids will flex up and down if they did NOT seal correctly.
* A note about Apples: I have an old tree in the field behind the house. I use those apples for apple butter as well as apple sauce. the apples are tart and fall apart when heated. You can use any kind of apples you like. You may want to mix them up and use some tart and some sweet. You'll be filling your crockpot to the top with apples so make a good guess. Husband picked 1/2 bushel for me. Most of those had bad places I had to cut out and some were unusable. I would guess 1/2 bushel of good apples would make one or two batches. If I was buying them at the grocery store I would get about 10 lbs. Any leftovers could be used for Apple pie or other favorite apple recipes.
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