Homemade Apple Butter

It's Wednesday! And Boss's Day!  And we're halfway through the work week!

OK, enough excitement for now; I've got a busy day ahead of me. On the agenda for today: a run scheduled, teaching three classes, taking a trip to the mainland after work (mattress shopping and running shoe shopping), and supervising knitting group this evening (for work). 

When I've got a busy schedule, I love recipes that come together with minimal effort. This recipe for Homemade Apple Butter (that I found here) is no exception. Just prep the apples, toss them into the slow cooker with cinnamon and some liquid, and come home to a house that smells amazing and an awesome spread for your toast! It's such a treat and is so much better for you than the jellies and jams that are loaded with added sugar.

It all started with some apples from my trip. I used about 3 pounds of apples, which ended up being about 9 of my apples.

Next, I peeled, cored, and sliced the apples. I placed the apple slices into my slow cooker along with 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. I then gave it a good stir to coat the apples and distribute the cinnamon.

 

And after 5-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, it looked like this:



 

To get a smooth apple butter, puree the apple mixture in your blender or food processor.

With this recipe, I was able to completely fill a pint sized mason jar and I had just enough left over for my toast! The apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.



 

You might be wondering what the difference is between apple butter and apple sauce... I certainly was! Apple sauce has a very light color and the cooking process is fast. Apple butter, on the other hand, is a dark caramel color from the spices that are added and the much longer cooking time. Apple butter is also has a thicker consistency than apple sauce.

 

 

What's your favorite thing to make with apples?

 

While Babe loves apple pie, apple crisp kind of makes my heart sing!