Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 9 large apples
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 1 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
Preparation
Combine all ingredients together in a 4 quart or larger crockpot and stir to combine.
Turn crockpot on high and allow to cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally.
If the apples are sticking or cooking too high, turn the crockpot to low.
Once the apple mixture has softened and reduced by half, you can leave it chunky or purée it in batches.
Canning
Ladle hot apple butter into a hot sterilized pint jar, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe jar rim, center lid on jar, and apply band to fingertip tight.
Place jar in boiling water canner and process for 15 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove canner lid, let jars stand for 5 minutes, then remove jars and cool for 12-24 hours.
Freezing
Place apple butter in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
Storage
Apple butter will keep for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Apple butter is a traditional pantry staple in Appalachia.
It can be used as a spread on buttermilk biscuits or as a filling in hand-pies.
