This is the best slow cooker apple butter you’ll ever have, I promise. It’s really hard to find really good apple butter at our local grocery stores. This recipe can be made with or without the cinnamon red hots.
Apples are being picked and delivered to grocery stores in my area at this time. In my humble opinion, the best ones come from Washington State. But maybe that’s because I live in Utah, and those are the best-tasting ones we can buy here.
I remember growing up and making apple butter with my mother from the surplus apples we were given. Of course, back then we didn’t have a slow cooker, but the results are the same. It’s just easier to make it now with a slow cooker because you can prep the ingredients, set it, and forget it.
The house smells heavenly, by the way, with those apples simmering in the slow cooker. I remember making apple pie filling with my daughters, and I can’t find that recipe. The house would smell so good with the combination of apples and cinnamon cooking on the stove.
The Best Slow Cooker Apple Butter Ever
Step One
The first step is to grab your slow cooker. You can peel, core, and slice or chop your apples as needed. I like to use an apple peeler. Of course, you can use a good knife to prep the apples as well.
Step Two
Now you cover the apples in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and red hots. Now, the red hots are optional, but they add a little twist to the apple butter. The finished product looks beautiful in jars, making it an ideal gift.
Step Three
Cover and cook on high for one hour.
Step Four
Continue cooking on low for three to four hours. Your house will smell amazing!
Step Five
Cool slightly, and run the apples through a blender until smooth. Now, place the mixture back into the slow cooker and continue cooking throughout the day. You want it to cook down and thicken up.
Step Six
Remove the excess liquid and place the remaining apple butter in mason jars. This batch will make about 6-8 pints, depending on how many apples you start with.
When cool, place the jars in the refrigerator to store them.
Is your mouth watering yet? Oh my goodness, this is incredibly easy to make, and your neighbors will love it! I say bring on the apples, now.
It’s perfect to spread on your freshly toasted bread.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Apple Butter in a Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 12 cored, peeled, and chopped apples (fill the slow cooker)
- 4 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cinnamon red hots (optional)
Instructions
-
Start by filling your slow cooker with your apples.
-
Wash, remove stems and cores. Chop or clice apples.
-
Cover in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and red hots. Cook on high for 1 hour.
-
Lower the heat and continue cooking for an additional 3 to 4 hours. Run through a blender until smooth.
-
Place back in the slow cooker and cook for the remainder of the day (total cooking time about 9 hours).
-
In the evening, fill the mason jars and seal. Keep in mind it will thicken as it cools. It will keep safely for about two weeks in the refrigerator.
Which Apples Make The Best Apple Butter?
- Jonathan
- Winesap
- Stayman
- Golden Delicious
- Macintosh
- Gala
- Or any other tasty soft apple. The softer the apple, the quicker it will cook down to make apple butter
Where Did Apple Butter Originate?
Apple butter has an interesting history. This is a great way to enjoy apples, which originated in Europe and were brought to America by the colonists. Since there wasn’t any way to keep the apples grown by farmers and monastery residents fresh, these people experimented and developed a “preserve” process that has been used for centuries. Now we have fruit and vegetable canning as an approach to keep the aging apples safe to eat.
Is This Recipe Safe To Can?
No, it is not. I’m a Master Canner and Preserver, and I know this recipe is not safe to can. If you want to bottle some jars, please look at the recipe in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning or the Ball Canning Guide.
What’s The Difference Between Apple Butter and Applesauce?
They are both cooked with a combination of white sugar, brown sugar, and spices, but apple butter is cooked down to become a thick, caramelized spread.
Does Apple Butter Contain Butter?
No, it does not. It’s like Peanut Butter, it doesn’t have butter, either. The term butter refers to the thick, spreadable mixture. It’s as simple as that.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can, just remember to leave enough room in the jar for the mixture to expand in the freezer.
Final Word
I really hope you try making this slow cooker apple butter. Here’s the deal: we need to prep, but we need to try new recipes whenever we can. Let me know if you’ve made homemade apple butter. I love to hear from you. We need to store water, food, emergency preps, and know how to cook from scratch.
I’m sure most of you know how to cook from scratch, but many people lack this skill. We need to teach others, and we need to know. Please keep prepping, we must. May God bless this world, Linda
The post The Best Slow Cooker Apple Butter Ever appeared first on Food Storage Moms.
from Food Storage Moms
No comments:
Post a Comment