Simple, clean apple butter (slow cooker and stovetop)

Name: Simple, clean apple butter (slow cooker and stovetop)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 -2 pints
Ingredients: 2.5 lb of mixed apples; Juice of one lemon; 1 TB cinnamon

User Reviews

5.0

6 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
1 -2 pints

Simple, clean apple butter (slow cooker and stovetop)

Ethan Patterson

Report

This recipe honestly couldn't be simpler. If you stop after the first cooking, you've got yourself lovely applesauce, which I like to use in muffins. Apple butter itself is great in baking as well (try my vegan spiced apple butter cake), or simply spread on good, dark bread. It's also lovely atop a smear of cream cheese, if you swing that way.

Share:

I Made This!

Be the first!

Print

12 people printed this

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings

2.5 lb of mixed apples or more - aim for a nice balance of tart and sweet apples. The common McIntosh works great here, balanced out with some Cortlands
Juice of one lemon
1 TB cinnamon

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Wash all your apples thoroughly (no need to peel). Core and quarter apples.
If using a slow cooker, cook your apples on high for four hours, until they have all broken down. Ladle into a blender, or use an immersion blender to process the apple sauce into a uniform, smooth sauce. It will still be quite runny at this point. Return to slow cooker and cook for another hour (or even two, if you have more apples than just the 2.5lbs specified here), until the applesauce has reduced sufficiently. When tested, it shouldn't really drip, but instead slowly meander down from your wooden spoon. Add lemon juice and cinnamon to your butter, and stir well to combine.
If you're pressed for time, though, feel free to cook these on the stovetop in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. The process will be the same, except you will keep your burner at medium-low and your cooking times will be 1.5 hours for the first cook, and 30-60 minutes on the second (depending on how many apples you're cooking).
If canning, this amount will yield about 2 half-pints (I know, I know, it really cooks down). Please ensure you have sterilized jars and lids submerged into boiling water at the ready when your sauce finishes cooking; ladle sauce into jars, wipe the rim to prevent sticking, and cover with metal lids. Screw the rings on very lightly, using only two fingers, and return to hot water bath canning pot for 10-minutes of processing.