Apple butter is big in the south. It strikes me as strange that it’s not quite so big here in the Great White North, where apples are in rampant supply come fall. So sad!
Great things come from apple butter. I personally like it more as an ingredient than I do as a condiment–it’s awesome in all sorts of cookies and sauces, including one of the best rib BBQ sauces you might ever taste–but if you haven’t tried a spoonful of apple butter in your oatmeal, or spread over your pancakes, you haven’t lived.
And hey, you don’t have to slave over a hot stove to make this one! The slow cooker makes it simple.
Crock Pot Apple Butter
Prep time | 30 minutes |
Cook time | 12 hours |
Total time | 12 hours, 30 minutes |
Dietary | Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian |
Meal type | Breakfast, Condiment |
Misc | Freezable |
Ingredients
- 5 quarts cored and peeled sauce apples (about 7 pounds apples, precoring)
- 1 cup sugar (plus up to 3 cups more, reserved)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Note
The amount of sugar in the recipe may vary depending on your taste and the tartness of the apples used. Golden delicious apples make great, pure apple butter, and Granny Smith and early gold also produce a beautiful, smooth sauce (if a bit more tart). I like my apple butter a little less sweet so that it's a little bit more versatile in cooking... it's easier to add sugar to a recipe than it is to take it out!
Directions
Step 1. | An hour or two before bedtime, cube the cored and peeled apples, and fill your 5 quart slow cooker to the brim. |
Step 2. | Mix 1 cup of sugar with salt, cinnamon and ground cloves. Pour over the top of the cut apples, and put the lid on the slow cooker. |
Step 3. | Cook the apples on high 1 hour, give them a stir, and set heat on low. Leave to cook overnight, or 10-12 hours. |
Step 4. | In the morning, the apples should fall apart easily. Whisk about one minute by hand, until smooth. |
Step 5. | Add more sugar to taste. With the lid off, continue cooking the apple butter until it reaches its desired consistency, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the apples are very liquid, or if you want to can the apple butter, you may wish to transfer it to a large sauce pot and simmer, stirring frequently so that the apple butter doesn't burn. |
Step 6. | Pour your apple butter in heated, sterile jars. Refrigerate and freeze, or water bath can as desired. Makes about six 250ml jars. |