Apple Butter

When I was young, I remember my parents preparing apples for pies, bread, sauce and butter. We had an awesome Apple Machine--it cored, peeled and sliced apples, all with the turn of a handle. The best part of this ritual was the peel that remained. The goal was to eat as much as you could before it turned brown and unappetizing. 

This past weekend I decided to use my crock pot to make some Apple Butter. I scoured Pinterest for the perfect recipe. I wanted to use my apple cider vinegar. At last I found one that seemed like it would work: Melissa’s Slow Cooker Apple Butter.   

Like any good recipe, I've changed and adapted it for my purposes. My crock pot is pretty small, so I only came up with one jar's worth, but it was still a worthwhile experiment.         

Ingredients:
10 or so Jonathan apples (or any other tart variety)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Water or apple cider, as needed









Directions:
Peel, core and slice apples. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arrange ingredients into a slow cooker, and place lid on top. 

 Set on High, and cook for 8 hours. Add more water and/or apple cider as needed. Turn crock pot to Low, and continue cooking for 8 more hours. If there are still apple chunks, smash with spoon or blend in food processor once cooled.

Apple butter is best stored in mason or canning jars. If you make a large batch, it is a good idea to can using a hot water bath.

Don't forget to eat the peels!