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making apple butter
Made by Lauren

Homemade Apple Butter

Use this easy recipe to make those orchard ripened apples into a delicious apple butter this Fall.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Servings: 6 cups
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 Apples whatever varieties you prefer
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider or water
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, ginger and mace
  • 1 pinch salt

Equipment

  • Crock Pot
  • Immersion Blender
  • Veggie Peeler
  • Paring Knife

Method
 

  1. Peel and slice your apples. Add to the crock pot.
  2. Add sugars, cider, spices and salt to the apples. Stir apple mixture.
  3. Place lid on pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  4. Once the apples have cooked down and darkened properly, remove the lid and puree with an immersion blender. Stir.
  5. With the lid off, continue to cook on low for another 2 hours.
  6. Enjoy!

Notes

After your apple butter has cooked, consider transferring your hot apple butter into sterilized canning jars.  Use a water bath immediately to preserve them for several months. 
Or wait until the apple butter has cooled and transfer to refrigerator safe bowls/jars.  This will keep in your fridge for a couple weeks.  
Depending on your spice preference, consider adding more cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice to enhance the flavor.  This recipe is relatively low in sugar and spice - by design.  But feel free to adjust the ratios to meet your taste preferences. 
Cooking the apple butter for the full 8 hours with the lid on and another 2 hours with the lid off will lead to a darker color.  So will adding more spices.  But you can shorten the time, if necessary, and it will not affect the flavor significantly.     
Enjoy!