Today I have been making one of my favorite EASY recipes (actually I should tell you right now that I will never post a hard recipe - it's just not me.) I also ADORE using my crock pot, she never let's me down, ever. (OK unless the ceramic bowl breaks because I chopped in the crock pot too hard, but that's another story)
Here are the simple instructions:
Slice up apples or pears (I happen to be using pears from our tree)
Fill up crock pot to the brim
Add 1/2 cup vinegar (any kind but I like the added health benefits of apple cider vinegar)
Cook on HIGH for 8 hours (start 1 pm?)
Next lower heat to LOW for another 10 hours (9pm-7am?)
After a total of 18 hours cooking add:
1/2 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar
EXCEPT I try to lower the sugar in my recipes!!!! SOOOOOO
Instead (and optional) of the above I used 1/2 cup Agave Nectar and Stevia to taste (about 1 tsp of the NuStevia brand)
3 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of cloves (or you could just use pumpkin pie spice)
Mix in and cook again on LOW for 4 more hours. (7am - 11am?)
Put in jars and seal. That is all that huge crock pot made - 5 small jars - but it tastes SO good!
Delish! I made and canned apple butter once about four years ago after we went to greenbluff for peaches and found out it wasn't peach season, so we thought we'd pick a "few" apples. We brought home 25 pounds. That's a lot of stinkin' apple butter. This makes me want to do it again! Although I will use sugar.... lots and lots of sugar. Don't tell Isobel!
ReplyDeleteYum, yum, yum, Love the post and the photo of your pears!
ReplyDeletewow that sounds so yummy I may have to try this. Thanks Selina
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to try this too. I tried apple butter once on the stove top and because I stopped stirring - it burnt - after hours of stirring. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteOh. my.goodness!!! Please share this with my readers on Vintage Pollyanna--they would love it! http://vintagepollyanna.blogspot.com/2011/01/tell-me-tuesday-9.html
ReplyDeleteThat looks DELICIOUS!!! And thanks for the sugar substitutions. I've cut back on sugar, too. I love recipes that I can eat without feeling guilty!
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love that you got rid of that white sugar. I bet honey would work great too!
ReplyDeleteThe Nourishing Homemaker
http://nurturedfamilylife.blogspot.com
I love apple butter and I cook in my crock-pot at least once a week, so why not make it in my crock? Your recipe looks super easy, I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I had a question about safety, though: if I gave them out as a gift, would I have to tell the recipient to put them in the fridge right away? Or can they stay at room temperture?
ReplyDeleteReply @ Kristen
ReplyDeleteTo be honest with you I'm not sure about safety. I sterilize the jars hot in my dishwasher and pull them right out and fill them with the super hot apple butter (straight from the Crockpot) I put the lids on and make sure they seal. I am pretty sure the correct way to do this would be to seal them in a water bath like you would a canning process. For me, I've never had any issue and I don't put them right in the refrigerator but like I said, if you wanted to be extra safe I would do a traditional canning waterbath process. Hope that helps!
I have made this and LOVE it! I have given it away to everyone and they LOVE it... I currently have a batch in my crock pot right now :) but I was wondering how big your crock pot is? I have been adjusting down since my crock pot looked smaller but today, I was writing the directions down in my "love and make again and again" recipe book and thought I better be sure of the amounts :) Also, I do can mine in a water bath just to be sure that all the time and yummy ingredients don't go to waste! It is super easy and makes me feel better opening a jar 11 months after it was canned!! Thanks so much for the tut!
ReplyDeleteReply@Shmmry17
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to tell us how you liked the butter!! I believe that crock pot was a 6 Qt (I have a new one now, broke that other one!) You are really smart to do it in the water bath. If I can find all my canning stuff I'll probaly do that next time.