Description
This classic homemade apple butter recipe uses a slow cooker to transform fresh apples into a rich, spiced spread perfect for canning and enjoying year-round. With warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, this smooth and flavorful apple butter is excellent on toast, biscuits, or as a tasty addition to desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Butter Ingredients
- 6 lbs apples (Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and chopped
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup apple cider (optional for flavor depth)
Instructions
- Prepare the Apple Butter: Place the peeled, cored, and chopped apples into a large slow cooker. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and apple cider if using. Stir all ingredients until well combined. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 10 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft and have darkened to a rich brown color.
- Blend the Apple Mixture: Using an immersion blender, puree the cooked apple mixture directly in the slow cooker until smooth and creamy. If the texture is too thin, leave the slow cooker uncovered and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours, stirring periodically, until the apple butter thickens to your desired consistency. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract evenly.
- Sterilize Jars and Lids: While the apple butter finishes cooking, sterilize canning jars and lids by boiling them in water for at least 10 minutes. Keep the jars warm and moist until ready to use to prevent cracking and ensure proper sealing.
- Fill the Jars: Once the apple butter is hot and ready, ladle it carefully into the sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ inch of headspace at the top. Clean the rims with a clean cloth to remove residue. Apply the lids and screw on the bands until fingertip-tight, ensuring not to overtighten.
- Process in a Water Bath: Submerge the filled jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring at least 1 inch of water covers the tops. Process for 10 minutes. Adjust the processing time if you are at high altitude according to standard canning guidelines.
- Cool and Store: Remove jars carefully from the water bath and place them on a towel or cooling rack. Allow jars to cool completely undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals by pressing the center of each lid to confirm it is concave and doesn’t pop back. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Notes
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, blend the apple mixture less thoroughly.
- Adjust sugar amounts to your taste; less sugar can be used for a tarter apple butter.
- Use firm apples like Fuji or Gala for the best flavor and consistency.
- Be cautious not to overfill jars to ensure safe sealing during processing.
- Always use proper canning techniques to prevent spoilage and foodborne illness.
- Store opened apple butter in the refrigerator and consume within 2 weeks.
