My Apple Butter

I was asked for my recipe for Apple Butter. Ummm, it's one of those things that I just do. So I'll tell you how I do it.

I use a 7 quart crock pot like this one. I use the apple peeler/corer/slicer thingie and then I cut the sliced apple into quarters. I fill the crockpot. I honestly don't remember how many apples I used. I used Gala and Honeycrisp. I peeled until the crockpot was full.

Then I added 2 cups of brown sugar, 2 cups of white sugar (Kathy started with 1/2 cup white sugar and says hers is perfect, so maybe try that first), 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon-depending on how much you like cinnamon, you can always add more but you can't take it away and 1 cup of apple juice. Mix everything together.

Cover and turn on high. When the apples are hot, open the lid to let the steam out. You will not put the lid back on. I prop mine on a wooden spoon layed across the crockpot. Let it cook like that for several hours. If I am cooking it overnight or if I am leaving the house, I turned it to low. Stir once in a while.

Do a taste test. If you want it sweeter, add more sugar. If you want more cinnamon, add a bit more.

When the apples and juice have reduced, turn off the heat and let cool a bit. Then I use my stick blender kind of like this one and start mixing. You could use a blender or food processor also. If it is not thick enough, cook it longer.

When it is the consistency I like, I test it on a piece of toast. Put hot butter into hot jars. If you want to seal it, add the lid and ring and do a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. My yield was 9 half pints. Check the Ball Blue Book for more information.

Remember this is the way I do it. There are lots of recipes online. I'm ready to make pear butter and pumpkin butter. Now I need a piece of toast. ;o)