We were lucky enough to receive a large bag of apples from a friend. My kids love apples so this was a really nice treat but it got me thinking what do you do if you have a lot of apples? (I dream of my own fruit trees but . . . I haven't done anything to make it happen and considering our track record with keeping trees alive I think I'd have to do quite a bit).
Well I decided since we have extras and I wasn't feeling the desire to dry them, I'd try something new. I've never tasted or even seen apple butter but the recipes I found on-line sounded yummy so that was it.
I combined several recipes and brought in my neighbor who cans for a quick consult. The result was a house that smelled great all day and a treat that everyone enjoyed.
Recipe
about 6 lbs of tart yellow apples (the different recipes suggested a mix of types of apples, I think the key is adjusting your sugar levels)
3 cups of sugar (plus or minus for taste or depending on tartness of the apples)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
I peeled, cored and chopped the apples and put them in my large slow cooker (5 1/2 to 7qt) but several recipes just cored and chopped them (more fiber and probably would thicken better due to the pectin in the apple skins).
Mix the dry ingredients and stir into the apples.
Cook on high for one hour
Using a stick blender I blended the mixture up after one hour and again near the end.
After one hour on high I cooked it for another 5 hours on low, stirring occasionally but other recipes suggested 9 - 10 hours or overnight.
Then UNCOVERED on high for an hour (to decrease the liquid and make it more the consistency of peanut butter.
Ours was a little bit more jam like but I think that will be easier for small people to spread.
I canned 5 small jars in a water bath and we ate the leftovers.
printable recipe
Well I decided since we have extras and I wasn't feeling the desire to dry them, I'd try something new. I've never tasted or even seen apple butter but the recipes I found on-line sounded yummy so that was it.
I combined several recipes and brought in my neighbor who cans for a quick consult. The result was a house that smelled great all day and a treat that everyone enjoyed.
about 6 lbs of tart yellow apples (the different recipes suggested a mix of types of apples, I think the key is adjusting your sugar levels)
3 cups of sugar (plus or minus for taste or depending on tartness of the apples)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
I peeled, cored and chopped the apples and put them in my large slow cooker (5 1/2 to 7qt) but several recipes just cored and chopped them (more fiber and probably would thicken better due to the pectin in the apple skins).
Mix the dry ingredients and stir into the apples.
Cook on high for one hour
Using a stick blender I blended the mixture up after one hour and again near the end.
Then UNCOVERED on high for an hour (to decrease the liquid and make it more the consistency of peanut butter.Ours was a little bit more jam like but I think that will be easier for small people to spread.
I canned 5 small jars in a water bath and we ate the leftovers.
printable recipe
