Description
This Crock Pot Apple Butter recipe uses a slow cooker to transform fresh apples into a rich, spiced spread perfect for canning and long-term storage. The apple butter is flavored with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, sweetened with both granulated and brown sugar, then gently cooked down to a thick, smooth consistency. Ideal for adding a cozy touch to breads, oatmeal, or desserts, this recipe yields about 5 pints of homemade apple butter preserved safely through water bath canning.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples
- 6 pounds apples (such as McIntosh, Cortland, or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
Sweeteners and Spices
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional Flavoring
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Apples: Place the peeled, cored, and chopped apples into a 6-quart slow cooker, ensuring even distribution for uniform cooking.
- Mix Sugars and Spices: In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Pour this mixture over the apples and stir thoroughly to coat all the fruit pieces evenly.
- Cook Apples Low and Slow: Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 10 hours. Stir occasionally during cooking to prevent sticking and to promote even caramelization. The apples should become very soft and dark brown in color.
- Puree the Mixture: Use an immersion blender to puree the apple mixture directly in the crock pot. For chunkier apple butter, blend partially or skip this step according to your texture preference.
- Thicken Apple Butter: Cook the mixture uncovered for an additional 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally until it thickens to your desired consistency, which should be spreadable but not runny.
- Add Vanilla Extract: Stir in 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract during the last 30 minutes of cooking to infuse a warm aromatic flavor into the apple butter.
- Sterilize Jars and Lids: While the apple butter finishes cooking, sterilize canning jars and lids by boiling them in water for 10 minutes to ensure safety and prevent contamination.
- Fill Jars: Ladle the hot apple butter carefully into the sterilized jars, leaving approximately 1/4 inch of headspace at the top to allow for expansion during sealing.
- Process Jars in Water Bath: Secure the lids on the jars and process them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. This step safely seals the jars for long-term storage.
- Cool and Store: Remove the jars from the water bath and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. After cooling, check seals and store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Notes
- Use a mix of apple varieties like McIntosh, Cortland, and Granny Smith for a balanced sweet and tart apple butter.
- Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your slow cooker model; check the apples for softness before pureeing.
- Adjust sugar quantity to taste, especially if your apples are very sweet or tart.
- Partial pureeing allows you to customize texture from chunky to smooth apple butter.
- Ensure jars and lids are fully sterilized to prevent spoilage during storage.
- If water bath processing is unavailable, store apple butter refrigerated and consume within 2 weeks.
