Sweet Things Remembered

This apple butter is a delicious taste of fall, made with fresh apples and cozy spices right in then slow cooker. It’s the perfect homemade spread for toast, biscuits, warm bread, and all your favorite fall treats.

When I was in college, there was this guy that I had been crushing on for around six or seven months, and when he finally got the hint (there were many obvious hints), he asked me out. We went on a few dates, and one of those dates was to an apple orchard. At that point, we were both broke college students, so there was no way we were paying the price to pick our own apples. Instead, we just strolled around the orchard, talking and goofing around. Near the end of our stroll, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course, I said, “Yes!” That was October of 2016.

Fast forward to October of 2021, that same guy and I went back to the orchard, this time as a married couple of two years and with the intention of actually picking apples. The minimum amount of apples for the pick-your-own option was half a bushel, so we paid for our bag and went to town filling it up. We picked Granny Smith, Ida Red, and Jonathan apples, all while I sang songs from “The Legend of Johnny Appleseed,” which I used to watch as a kid. By the time we were ready to call it quits, our bag was almost full and pretty heavy.

Now, if you aren’t aware of the size of half a bushel, it’s 50-60 medium-sized apples. We went for the fun of apple picking. We didn’t think about the fact that we were then going to have to consume said apples. I had to come up with a way to use them all, so I decided I would try to make apple butter. I have loved apple butter since I first tried it when I was younger, so I was excited to make it myself. I found this recipe and have been making it ever since. It is easy to make, absolutely delicious, and a great way to use up all those apples if you plan to go apple picking this fall.

Ingredients

• Fresh Apples – You can use whatever variety of apples you want, but it’s good to have some that are sweeter and some that are more tart if possible. The first time I made it, I used Granny Smith, Ida Red, and Jonathan. This time, I used Honeycrisp and Gala because that’s what I was able to get at Costco for a decent price.
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Clove
• Vanilla
• Lemon Juice

Equipment

• 6qt Slow Cooker
• Measuring Tools
• Immersion Blender – After the apples cook down enough, you use an immersion blender to create that apple butter texture. If you do not have any immersion blender you may be able to scoop the apples into a regular blender, if your blender is okay to use for hot things.
• Jars (for storage)

How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This recipe yields around 2 quarts of apple butter. I only had 8 oz jars when making mine, and I was able to fill 8 of them.

• Peel and slice 6.5 to 7 pounds of fresh apples. Slices should be thin so that the apples are able to fully cook down.
• Add the apple to a 6qt crockpot. Then add 1½ cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp clove. Stir to coat the apples.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours.
• Remove the lid, add 1½ tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cook on high, uncovered, for 2 more hours.
• Using an immersion blender, blend up the cooked apples until they reach an apple butter texture.
• You can serve it warm (it’s really good on my grandpa’s biscuit recipe), and then store the rest.
  • Store apple butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
  • This recipe has not been tested for water-bath canning, so I recommend refrigerating or freezing it rather than canning and storing at room temperature.

Questions You May Have

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Recipe by rebekahdearmondDifficulty: Easy

Servings

64

fl oz

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

7

hours 

Ingredients

• 6.5-7 pounds fresh apples

• 1½ cups sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp clove

• 1½ tsp vanilla

• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

• Peel and slice 6.5 to 7 pounds of fresh apples. Slices should be thin so that the apples are able to fully cook down.
• Add the apple to a 6qt crockpot. Then add 1½ cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp clove. Stir to coat the apples.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours.
• Remove the lid, add 1½ tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cook on high, uncovered, for 2 more hours.
• Using an immersion blender, blend up the cooked apples until they reach an apple butter texture.
• You can serve it warm (it’s really good on my grandpa’s biscuit recipe), and then store the rest.
  _{Store apple butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
  This recipe has not been tested for water-bath canning, so I recommend refrigerating or freezing it rather than canning and storing at room temperature.}