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apple butter

(1 rating)
Linky1 avatar
Recipe by
Carolyn Haas
@Linky1
Whitewater, WI

My first experience with apple butter was at an Amish restaurant in Shipshewana, Indiana. At the time we had a small orchard, so I decided to try to replicate this yummy treat. After several attempts and consulting Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks, I came up with this version using a Nesco roaster or a slow cooker. (If you do it on the stove, which is the more traditional method, the applesauce "volcanos" that form can make a mess and burn you!) This recipe will make about 8-9 half-pint jars.

(1 rating)
yield 60 serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
cook time 18 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For apple butter

  • 6 lb
    tart apples (about 20 apples)
  • 3 c
    apple cider or juice or water
  • 2 c
    white sugar
  • 1 c
    brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp
    cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp
    allspice
  • 1/2 tsp
    cloves

How To Make apple butter

  • 1
    Wash and quarter apples. Place in 4-6 quart kettle or Dutch oven with the water/juice. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes - 1/2 hour. Press through food mill. (If you don't have a food mill, you'll have to peel and core the apples before you cook them.)
  • 2
    Place resulting apple sauce into slow cooker or small Nesco roaster. Set to low or 220ºF and cover. Let cook overnight.
  • 3
    In the morning, add sugars and spices. Cook at least another 4 or more hours or until mixture is quite dark. If you want super smooth apple butter, whisk with immersion blender when you're done cooking.
  • 4
    NOTE - I cook the apples in smaller batches and use part of the liquid for each batch. They get soft quicker that way!
  • 5
    NOTE 2: The last time I made this, I let it cook in the crock pot the second day until that afternoon, so way more that 4 hours.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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