Easy Apple Butter Food

AMAZING APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine apples and apple juice in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a simmer until apples are soft and mushy, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Spoon apples into a food mill and process into puree while discarding the cores and peels remaining in the mill. Transfer process apples to a slow cooker.
• Cook on High with the lid off until the moisture evaporates and the volume reduces by about half, overnight to 24 hours.
• Stir sugar, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice through the apple puree.
• Continue cooking on High until mixture mounds on a chilled plate without any water separating from the edges, another 2 to 6 hours.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the apple butter into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until apples are very tender.
• Mash apples with potato masher or large fork.
• Cook uncovered on low heat setting 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick. Cool about 2 hours.
• Spoon apple butter into container. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

EASY CROCK POT APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Add applesauce, sugars, and cider together in crock pot.
• Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
• Add spices and cook on low, covered, for 3 more hours.
• Uncover and continue cooking on low for 1-4 hours or until sufficiently thickened. May take longer, depends on how thick you like it and your crock pot.
• Ladle hot apple butter into 1/2 pint or pint size canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• Makes about 6 pints.
• If you're not into canning, this would probably freeze very well.

EASY APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• 1. add 5-6 qt of apple sauce to crock pot
• 2. add spices and half of the sugar if used
• 3. - set crock pot/slow cooker on low or med
• 4. - cook down apple sauce. If not cooked down visibly within 8 hrs turn heat to med. until visibly cooked down by half.
• 5. - while cooking cover crock pot/slow cooker loosely ( I use a wooden spoon or off set my lid to vent off moisture)
• 6. - you need to keep covered to prevent splatter. It will splatter while cooking. instead of a lid you could use a large pot splatter screen but I don't have one..I use my lid.
• 7. - cook for a total of 6-18 hrs
• 8. - Once reduced by half add remaining apple sauce and sugar cook on high for at least 2 hrs until thickened.
• 9. - Pack into clean hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headroom
• 10. - seat lid and tighten band onto jar
• 11. - process in boiling water for 10 min for quart jars for 10 min
• 12. - place upside down on dry towel to cool - once cool turn right side up and store - refrigerate apple butter once open
• 13. Hints & Tips: for smoother consistency you can blend with a hand blender. For those who like anise you can use 1/4 t. ground star anise or as much as you want to taste. Some use red hot cinnamon candies in the apple butter while cooking. My Grandmother did.