This thick and velvety spiced apple butter is a delicious recipe for cooking apple butter in the crockpot and canning it to enjoy all winter long. It makes for a perfect foodie gift to surprise your family and friends!
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time10 hourshrs
Total Time11 hourshrs
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: apple butter, apple butter recipe, best apple butter recipes, canning apple butter, crockpot apple butter, easy apple butter recipe, how to make apple butter at home, slow cooker apple butter canning recipe, what is apple butter
Servings: 6half-pint jars
Calories: 49kcal
Author: Whitney Reist | Sweet Cayenne
Equipment
slow cooker
Dutch Oven
Ingredients
6poundsof apples, cored, peeled, and cut into 1’’ chunks (I recommend a blend of Macintosh and Fuji for the best texture and flavor)
2cupsapple cider
¾cupgranulated sugar, estimated amount needed
¾cupdark brown sugar, estimated amount needed
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
1teaspoonground cloves
½teaspoonground allspice
Instructions
Pre-prep a day ahead option (recommended):
Place the apples and cider in a 5 qt Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot along with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil, stirring occasionally, until the apples have broken down, about 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and use an immersion blender to carefully puree the apples in the pot (this step can be done one day ahead, simply cover and chill the puree overnight before proceeding).
The day of cooking:
Use a measuring cup to measure the amount of puree you have as you transfer the apple puree, cup by cup, into a 6-qt slow cooker. For each cup of puree that you have, add one tablespoon of white sugar and one tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir the sugar and the spices into the puree. Place the lid slightly ajar on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, stirring every 2 hours, until the puree is dark and thick enough to where a spoonful mounds up on a plate and liquid seeps out around the mound.
During the last 30 minutes of slow-cooking, fill your large canning pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once the desired thickness is reached, place the slow cooker on HIGH to bring the apple butter to a boil while you prepare for water bath canning.
Sterilize canning jars by placing them in a boiling water bath (I do this in my canning pot) for ten minutes. Keep them warm in the water until ready to use. Place the lids in a heatproof bowl and ladle a few spoonfuls of boiling water on top. Keep them warm in the bowl until ready to use. For more information on hot water bath canning, see this article.
Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars from the hot water canning bath and place them upright on a towel. Remove the lids from the bowl of water and pat them dry.
Ladle the hot apple butter into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles with an offset spatula as needed. Use a damp paper towel or cloth to wipe the rims of the jars clean. Place the lid on top, followed by the jar ring, and adjust the ring until it is finger-tight (do not force it).
Return the jars to the water bath, being sure that each is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for a full 10 minutes. Use the jar lifter to carefully remove the jars from the water and transfer them to a towel. Do not disturb the jars for 12 hours.
After one hour of resting, make sure the jar lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of the lid. If the center can be pressed down, the lid has not sealed and the contents of the jar should be refrigerated immediately for use within 1-2 weeks.
Label the sealed jars and store in a dark, cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from the book Canning for a New GenerationCanning for a New Generation, by Liana Krisoff. I own and highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who wants to learn more about canning!