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homemade apple butter

(2)
souxie avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Susan Bickta
@souxie
Kutztown, PA

This apple butter is a family favorite. We like to eat it like jam on buttered toast or as a topping on a serving of cottage cheese. You can adjust the spice level to suit your taste. This apple butter also makes a wonderful gift and can be made ahead and frozen.

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Blue Ribbon Recipe

Apple butter is very versatile. It can be added to oatmeal, served on top of pancakes, smeared onto a slice of toast with butter, can be added to baked goods, and more. Thick and super yummy, this slow cooker recipe is so good you'll be finding places to add a dollop. It does take a while for this to cook, but the plus side is your kitchen smells like apple pie while this simmers in the Crock Pot.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 11 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For homemade apple butter

  • 6-7 lg
    Cortland apples
  • 1 3/4 c
    granulated sugar
  • 3/4 c
    light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cloves (scant)
  • 1/4 c
    apple cider
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt

How To Make homemade apple butter

Test Kitchen Tips
We cut our apples into quarters. If not canning, this apple butter can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
  • Apples and remaining ingredients added to a slow cooker.
    1
    Peel, core, and cut apples into chunks. Place the apples in a 4-5 quart Crock Pot. Add the remaining ingredients.
  • Apples cooking in the slow cooker.
    2
    Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cook an additional 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and turns a dark brown.
  • Cooking the apples without the top on the slow cooker.
    3
    Remove cover and cook on low for an additional hour.
  • Blending apple butter with an immersion blender.
    4
    Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and puree with a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Add syrup from the Crock Pot to thin apple butter if desired.
  • 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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