Crock-Pot Apple Butter
This apple butter is slow cooked in the crock-pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla for a spread that is packed with the flavors of fall. It is so good you'll have a hard time not eating it straight out of the jar.
Equipment
- Crock-pot
- immersion blender or regular blender
- ½ pint (8 oz.) jam jars with rings and lids
Ingredients
- 6 lbs. apples
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
Apple Butter
- Peel, core and chop apples into about 1" pieces and pour into crock-pot.
- Add brown sugar, white sugar, apple cider, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract to the crock-pot. Give it a good stir and set the crock-pot to cook on low for 7 hours.*
- After 7 hours the apples will have cooked down and will be starting to turn to mush, but there will still be some larger chunks. To get the smooth thick consistency desired use an immersion blender right in the crock-pot or pour it into a stand blender and blend till smooth.
Canning Instructions
- While the apple butter is still cooking wash and sterilize your jam jars. This can be done by hand washing and then boiling the jars or simply throwing them in the dishwasher. (Do not boil the circular lids or put them in the dishwasher.)
- Fill a canning pot (or any pot that is large enough for 7 jars or so jars) about ⅓ of the way with water and set it on the stove top over medium heat. Fill a small sauce pan with water and turn it on low heat to simmer.
- Carefully ladle the finished apple butter into clean jars leaving ¼ inch head space. If you don't have quite enough to fill your last jar all the way up, just cap it and put it in the refrigerator to enjoy now.
- Put the lids in the small sauce pan to warm up.
- Carefully wipe the top of each jar to ensure a good seal. With tongs grab a lid out of the simmering water and carefully place on top of the jar. Put the metal ring on top and tighten until it is just finger tight. Continue until all of your jar have lids and rings.
- With tongs carefully place each of the jars into the large pot to process. There should only be one layer or jars. The water should come about 2 inches over the tops of the lids. Add more hot water if necessary. Turn the burner up to high to boil. Process for 15 minutes at a boil before removing jars from the water.
- Allow jars to cool overnight and then check to make sure they have sealed properly. If they have sealed properly there will be no give in the lid. Any jar that doesn't seal can be kept in the refrigerator for immediate use.
Notes
* The apple butter can cook longer in the crock-pot if needed as long as it is on low.
*Processed jars are good for up to a year.
* Store processed jars at room temperature, once opened apple butter will need to be refrigerated.
*Once opened apple butter will stay good in the refrigerator for at least 3 weeks.