I remember eating homemade apple butter as a kid and thinking that it was the best thing. Ever. Let me tell you, it is!
I’ve always assumed that making applesauce and apple butter would be a laborous task, that wasn’t really worth the final effort. Part of my 2009 Goals, we wanted to get atleast 3 months of food stored up. This includes everything from jam/jellies, to vegetables, to meat, to grains and everything in between. Over the past few weeks I’ve bought 3 bushels of apples and jumped right in!
To make apple butter all you need is:
- Apples
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
You need to peel and core your apples before placing them in the crockpot. To make this easier and faster, I used an apple peeler, corer and slicer thing. Similiar to this one. I filled my crockpot all the way to the top. The amount of apples will vary by the size of crockpot. This is so vague, but I used about a Wal-Mart bag full, or a ¼ bushel.
Once my crocpot was loaded, I added 2 cups sugar, roughly 2 Tbsp Cinnamon, and 1 tsp nutmeg.
Put the lid on and cook on low for about 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. You can stir it around if you want to (I couldn’t resist), but you do not have to. When it is done, the apples will cooked through and will look somewhat like applesauce.
If your mixture is a little runny still, remove the lid and let cook for roughly another hour.
Put mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Yum! This will keep in your refrigerator for up to 2 months. If you want to can it for long term food storage follow the water bath canning method and can pints for 10 minutes, quarts for 15.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I didn't grow up eating apple butter, so I've never understood it's allure. But I found a new recipe that calls for it and was appalled that apple butters at the store ALL have HFCS. I'll be trying this in the next week or two!
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And then you can make Apple Butter Pie…mmm. http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.com/2007/10/apple-butter-pieor-pumpkin-butter-pie.html
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We use Wellesley Brand Apple Butter, by the way–it's readily available where we live (southern Ontario) and does not have corn syrup in it. If you're looking for a natural commercial apple butter and don't like peeling apples. http://www.wellappleproducts.com/product.html#butter
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Looks yummy! I don't know that I've ever tried apple butter. Not sure why I haven't. I love apples and sugar
Thanks for sharing!
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I just made apple butter for the first time a few weeks ago. Yours looks better though, I don't think I let mine cook long enough but it still tastes good. Your right, it does make the house smell soo good
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Oh yum! I made some Apple Butter a couple years ago. It was so good. I think I'll make some this afternoon and some homemade bread (machine) bread.
Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
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If you make your own plain applesauce – you can just throw that in the crockpot and add your spices from there. You can skip the food processing part at the end. When I spend the weekend cooking and canning applesauce, I just keep a batch in the crockpot cooking it smells just wonderful.
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I love apple butter. Thanks for giving such easy instructions on making it at home. I've never tried canning anything but thanks to your instructions, I just might have to give it a try!
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I made Homemade Applesauce this week. It makes the house smell so good!! I will have to try the Apple Butter Recipe too. I bought 10lbs. of apples at Louisburg Cider Mill(in Kansas) and I am looking for apple recipes.
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Thank you. I think this sounds wonderful and not too difficult. I love apple butter. I might just have to try it!
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I love Apple Butter as well. I would have to substitute the sugar for Splenda.
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Oh MY Goodness! We sure do love us some apple butter! I never knew it was that simple to make! This is going to be a recipe we'll try next fall!
Great post!
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What do you do with apple butter? Is it like jelly?
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Looks just wonderful!
I made an apple cobbler yesterday~I will have to make apple butter this way, I have made it in the past, but your method looks easier…
I have an award for you at
http://www.sistertipstersthriving.blogspot.com
Hope you will come by and pick it up!
blessings
cheryl
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Onemotherslove– Sort of. You can use it on toast and biscuits, or my family likes to put a spoon or two in their oatmeal in the morning. I sort of has the consistency of applesauce, nothing like jelly. It is Oh So Good!
SisterTipster–You are too kind!
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No that's a yummy tackle!!
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I am soo excited, I just tried your recipe for this apple butter yesterday and it turned out SO GOOD! I made some homemade bread to go along with it and my husband is in heaven! Thanks for sharing this easy way to make a complicated item! (perfect for the holidays too!)
Thanks again!
J
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YUM! That looks sooooo good! Thanks for linking up!
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