Crock Pot Apple Butter

Making your own jams, jellies , fruit butters or marmalades does not get any easier than this simple method of making apple butter. It is so easy that it barely counts as making-your-own—the crock pot does all of the work! Apples plus sugar plus a few spices combined with the wonder of a crock pot and you have a beautiful and deeply flavored apple butter. This apple butter recipe should be labeled as Preserving 101; it is wonderfully straightforward and completely delicious.

I found a number of recipes online and followed this one from Simply Canning. Here are the basics:

Start by preparing your apples. Wash, peel and slice them. I used 12 granny smiths; try other varieties too.

Fill your crock pot with the apple slices. Pour in 1-2 cups sugar. Other recipes suggested combinations of brown and white sugar which I think would work well.  Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves (I omitted the cloves as I don’t care for the taste).

Now sit back and let the crock pot do its thing. Eight to ten hours on low should be plenty of time. Stir once or twice and puree the apple butter if you would like a smooth consistency.

I did not process my jars in a boiling water canner this time but the Simply Canning site has directions for this step should you need them.

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