Apples, warm spices, and brown sugar cook overnight in a slow-cooker for fail proof Slow-Cooker Apple Butter.
We never had apple butter growing up. For that matter, we didn’t have any fruit butters. We did, however, have boatloads of jellies, jams and preserves. I have a long history with fruit condiments.
Fruit butters are easy to make. You don’t have to worry about whether or not they will “set up” like you do jellies and jams. Additionally, the use of a slow-cooker adds such an ease to this recipe, it’s practically fool-proof. The worse that can happen is that you forget about it and let it cook for several days. At that point, it’s ruined. So is your slow-cooker. Unless you set up your crock-pot in the shed, the chances of that happening are slim. Spices in this recipe attach to your nostrils and will not let go. That’s not a bad thing. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are heavenly scents.
For a little girl who never knew squat about apple butter until she became an adult, I think I turn out a pretty mean batch. Mean as in good.
Try using apple butter for Apple Butter Pie and Apple Butter Cake.
Y’all come see us!
Slow-cooker Apple Butter
yield: 3 to 4 half pints
Many time-honored Apple Butter recipes start out with applesauce. I fail to see the point of that. It seems like an extra step. I find it easier to throw a bunch of fresh sliced apples in the slow-cooker, along with sweetening and spices, and let it cook down. Then, you’re only a few whirls of an immersion blender or food processor away from pureed apple butter.
Use more than one variety of apples for the best flavor. Pick out your favorites. I used September Wonder and Gala. Six and half pounds of sliced apples filled my 5-quart slow cooker slap dab full.
6 to 6 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
Place apples in slow cooker. Cover top of apples with brown sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt on top of sugar. Cover, cook on high for one hour.
Remove cover, stir. Replace cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 12 hours.
Remove cover and return slow-cooker to high. Stir and mix well. Continue cooking, uncovered, until desired consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally.
Puree with immersion blender or food processor.
Add extracts and stir well.
Store in refrigerator for up to three weeks. Freezes well.
Slow-Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 6 to 6 1/2 pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Place apples in slow cooker. Cover top of apples with brown sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt on top of sugar. Cover, cook on high for one hour.
- Remove cover, stir. Replace cover and cook on low heat for 10 to 12 hours.
- Remove cover and return slow-cooker to high. Stir and mix well. Continue cooking, uncovered, until desired consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally.
- Puree with immersion blender or food processor.
- Add extracts and stir well.
- Store in refrigerator for up to three weeks. Freezes well.
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Wendy Riddel says
Can you cut the amount of sugar right down? I intend to freeze the finished product.
I have just finished making Rosemary Pear Butter and I had to do some major rescue work to it because it was super sickly sweet.
I would also ask, do you have to make it super smooth?
Sounds really yum, so going to give it a go.
Jackie Garvin says
Wendy,
You should adjust the sugar to suit your taste. Both variety of apples I used were somewhat tart. Add 1 cup of sugar to start. After the apples have cooked down and all the spices are mixed well, taste for sweetness and make adjusts if necessary. You can have any texture you would like for the finished product. If you want it remain somewhat chunky, all you would need to do is stir it with a large wooden spoon. The apples cook so long that large pieces won’t remain. I hope it works out for you! It freezes very well. 🙂
Bonnie Banters says
With the price of my favorite apple butter, it’ll probably be good to make my own and more than likely lots better….love the slow cooker method!
Jackie Garvin says
Bonnie,
I hope you give it a try. Get it ready to go so the 10 to 12 hours it cooks on low heat is overnight. Then, you’ll just need to spend maybe another hour the next day letting the liquid cook down. It really is very easy and very tasty.
Bonnie Banters says
Thanks Jackie…will do! Love your posts!!!
Jackie Garvin says
Love having you here, Bonnie!
heyjude195430Jude says
Apple butter evokes a wonderful memory for me. My grandmother made it in the fall when she lived in a little cabin that overlooked a pond. She lived in Chumuckla, Fl with no indoor plumbing and only a fireplace for heat. I used to eat her apple butter with peanut butter on a sandwich with a glass of cold tea with no ice. When I smell oak burning in a fireplace, I always associate the two aromas. Apple butter and oak burning. I’m going to try your recipe. Thanks Jackie.
Jackie Garvin says
Jude,
I hope you enjoy the apple butter. Certainly, you will have a wood fire going while you eat apple butter and peanut butter sandwiches. What a sweet memory. 🙂
Jean says
A buttered biscuit with some of that would be good about now. My family didn’t make that either but did do the jelly, jam and preserves. Have you ever eaten or made potted peaches? That came from my mother in law and my grandmother.
Jackie Garvin says
Potted peaches…..never heard of them. I googled and found one recipe. It looks like it’s a different name for peach butter.
Jean says
I would say that is a pretty close thing. This involves cooking the peelings of the peaches with very little peach. It was a way to not waste things. It might have a little vinegar in it…with lots of sugar and much cooking.
Rhonda says
Can you can this when it’s done?
Jackie Garvin says
Rhonda,
I haven’t tested it for canning. It does freeze well, however.
Janice Marra says
Just got done making apple butter for the first time.It is truly awesome!Cant wait to share it with my family.Thanks for this delicious recipe .
Jackie Garvin says
Janice,
I’m so glad you like it, Cuz. I’m about ready to make another batch. 🙂
Mrs. K. says
Dear I don’t know if you’ve ever read of heard of the Foxfire books but in them one of the elderly ladies talked of making pumpkin butter. It sounds kind of strange but it works. I haven’t made it in some time but I do remember it takes lemon juice too. The hard part is getting the family to let it age. Pumpkins are very affordable this time of year and the crock pot makes it easy. Maybe you ‘d like to give it a try. Mrs. K.
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you.
Jenny says
I can my crock pot apple butter all the time. Just process it in a cold water bath for 10 minutes. Take out of canner and set on counter for 24 hours undisturbed. You will hear the ping of the jars sealing within a few minutes of taking them out though.
Chris Thomas says
Jackie,
Funny, we never had apple butter growing up either, until one of my dad’s students gave him a case of Musselmann’s: In NYC? I’m sure it just happened to “fall-off the truck,” so-to-speak.
Over the past few years, my wife and I have gotten into canning. I’d love to try this. I have to know, however, is the brown sugar dark or light, and are the cloves whole or ground?
BTW; I’m with you. Applesauce with stuff added is just applesauce… with stuff added, not apple butter. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll let you know how well it cans.
God bless.
Jackie Garvin says
Chris,
The brown sugar is light, but that’s just my taste preference. If you want more molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar. I use ground cloves.
Chris Thomas says
Thank you. I’ll try this after the smoke clears from the holidays. God bless.
Jackie Garvin says
Chris,
I love the way you phrased that! It’s an accurate description of the hustle and bustle of the season. 🙂