I love this time of year!
Could you tell me what you like most about this time of year? For me, it is the smell of the fresh, clean air mixed with the scent of autumn leaves and the comforting warmth of spices.
I thankful for the harvested apples and pumpkins we can use for baking, butter making, and eating! One of my favorite ways to use apples is to make apple butter. Trust me, it is a breeze. This dish is simple and easy to make. Feel free to adjust the amount of each ingredient listed below to your preference as you whip up your Apple Butter. You can use any kind of apple in this recipe; my favorites are Gala, Honey Crisp, or any baking apple. Organic apples are the best option when shopping for apples.
Simple Apple Butter Recipe
Place 6-8 pounds peeled apples in your crock pot. Pour in a couple of cups of water. Stir in 1 cup of brown sugar or more up to 3 cups, if desired. Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 1/2 tsp cloves. We prefer minimal sugar content, but you can add additional cinnamon and brown sugar to taste. Since apples naturally contain sugar, you can even skip the brown sugar.
Turn the crock pot on high to get the apples cooking until they are tender. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to break down the apples to a uniform texture, do not liquefy. Then turn to low and allow it to simmer for 3-4 hours. Prepare your canning jars and lids by washing and sterilizing. Keep jars and lids warm. Place lids in a stainless-steel saucepan with water to heat them up to prepare the seals. Once the Apple Butter is cooked, taste to see if it meets your preferences. You can add more sugar or spices at this stage. If you do, allow it to simmer a little longer to incorporate any additions throughout mixture.
Carefully ladle the butter into the prepared jars. Leave 1/2 head space at the top. Wipe the edges of the rim to clean them. I use a cloth lightly wet with vinegar to clean my rim. Place the jars once sealed in a water bath canner or pot with water filled to cover the jars. Bring to boil for 10 minutes. Remove lid from canner and wait 5 minutes then remove jars. Allow to cool, as they cool you will hear the seal’s pop. They are ready to enjoy!
