Friday, September 20, 2013

Crockpot Apple Butter

Well it's that time again!
Apple season!
YAY!  Who doesn't love the crisp fall air?!  It's my favorite time of year I must say.
If you find yourself with apples this year from the orchard, you should try out this recipe.  It is very simple and will make your house smell AMAZING!

 
 
Here is what you will need:
 
5 to 6 lbs. of apples peeled, cored and chopped
2 1/2 to 3 Cups Sugar
3 tsp. of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
crockpot
peeler or knife
cutting board


 
 
First you are going to want to wash your apples and then peel them. 
 
 
 
Next cut them up into small pieces. 
In a seperate bowl, mix together your sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Now most apple butter recipes call for cloves.  I however can't stand the taste of them so I don't put them in mine.  If you want to, you can add 1/2 to 1 tsp of ground clove to this mixture also.
 
 
Add you apples to the sugar and mix well to make sure all the apples are coated.
 
 
Pour them into the crockpot.
 
 
Put the lid on your crockpot and cook on high for the next 10 to 12 hours.
The cooking time is going to depend on how hot your crockpot gets and how juicy your apples were.
 
 
Every so often, check on your apples and stir them.
This was taken about 2 hours after cooking.  You can see that there is alot of juice in there now.  Don't worry, this will all cook away.
 
 
About 8 hours into the cooking process.
 
 
This is 12 hours later for me.  If you have some chunks left, you can take a wisk and break them up.
 
 
From here, you can either freeze your apple butter in containers or can it for future use.  I always can mine for 2 reasons.  One is it stays longer and two I don't have that much freezer space.
 
If you have never canned before, I suggest doing a little research on the computer before you attempt it so that you do it properly.
 
 
 
These would also make great gifts for the upcoming holidays!
Just add ribbon and pretty label and you have a lovely gift that everyone would love!
 
 
Did you make this recipe?  Please share how it turned out!  I would love to hear!