Apple Butter - Slow Cooked

With Spring in full swing, I wanted to try my hand at canning before all the fruits start coming in (strawberries soon!) and get the hang of it.  I've been terrified of canning.  Still am, but a little more confident.  I'm afraid of large pots of boiling water spilling, burning hot jars dropping and/or exploding.  But I am trying to move past it all.  I took a stab at it with apple butter and I had much success with it!    Although next time, I think I will make the apple butter overnight, I was up quite late last night trying to get it canned.

Apple butter is absolutely amazing.  Sweet and slightly spicy from the cinnamon and cloves (not the hot spicy if you haven't had it before).  An amazing comfort food.  Use it on toast, biscuits (Mmm Buttermilk Biscuits), French Toast, Pancakes, or anything else you can think of.

I made these cute labels from a word document downloadable I found at Southernplate.com.  They are very easy to customize.

Apple Butter

Makes 5 pints + a little extra ( I had about 1/4 pint left over)

10 Lbs Apples (Use any kind you desire, even mix and match flavors.  I used 5 lbs Granny Smith, 2 Lbs Gala, and 3 Lbs Red Prince)

2 Cup White Sugar

2 Cups Brown Sugar

6 tsp Cinnamon

3 tsp Ground Cloves

1 tsp All Spice

2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Peel, core, and dice your apples.  Place in the slow cooker (you'll want to use a large slow cooker, about 7 qt)  Mix together the rest of your ingredients and pour over apples.  Carefully mix it up.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 8 more hours.  Using a hand blender or potatoes masher, break up apples, so it resembles apple sauce.  Cook for 1 more hour on low so it cooks down and thickens.

*Note* Adjust sugar and spices as desired.  If you would like it less sweet or spicy, amounts can easily be reduced.  Apple butter will be strong while its cooking, but won't be once it has cooled down.

Printable Page

For Canning Videos and Tutorials, visit the following pages.

Pioneer Woman - Canning 101, Part 1

Pioneer Woman - Canning 101, Part 2

Southern Plate - Canning, The Musical

Home Ec 101 - Pressure Canning

Heavenly Homemaker - Canning 101

SugarCrafter - Canning Basics

Alton Brown - Good Eats - Urban Preservation Part 1

Urban Preservation Part 2