Apples in the Pot to Apple Butter in the Jar-O

So last week was apple day at the Nest and I finally decided on making apple butter. I make my apple butter in the crockpot for several reasons. It never burns and it is such sweet torture to smell it cooking all day.

The first step is the apples. If you happen to have an apple tree in your backyard, wonderful. The only problem will be in figuring out how many pounds you have picked. Here is a chart and the link to help with that small problem.

            1 pound of apples equals:

2 large apples OR

3 medium apples OR

2 3/4 cups of cored & sliced/chopped apples OR

1 1/3 cup of applesauce

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodequivalents/a/appleequiv.htm

If you do not have access to an apple tree, a good solution might be a local orchard. The apples are fresh picked, there are usually many varieties to pick and choose from and the apples are measured out by the pound for you.

Once the apples have been picked/bought, they need to be peeled, cored and chopped and thrown in the pot. Just add the sugar and spice and turn the crockpot on low.

Crockpot Apple Butter

3# apples

2 cups sugar

12 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch cloves or nutmeg

Simmer in the crockpot for 8-10 hours.

As soon as the apples are soft enough, I give them a spin in the blender and return them to the crockpot because I like a nice smooth apple butter. If you happen to like your apple butter a little more on the chunky side, you can use a potato masher while they are in the crockpot and mash them to the consistency you like. The apple butter should be cooked down to about half of what you started with. A wooden spoon should stand by itself in the middle of the whole hot yummy mess.

When the apple butter is done, put it into hot sterile jars and process in a canning bath for 25 minutes.