Apple Butter

This is just a staple in the fall.  My mom always made homemade applesauce.  She would just whip it up and I remember the house would just smell delicious.  Since the cool weather has officially arrived and the warm sweaters are out,well,it is time to warm up the kitchen with some cinnamon and spice.  I used this recipe from the Southern Living slow-cooker cookbook.

Here are the ingredients straight from the book.

15 minutes or less to prep—Awesome!

Overnight Apple Butter

1 cup firmly packed brown butter

1/2 cup honey

1/4 apple cider

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground mace

10 medium apples, peeled cored and cut into large chunks

The book recommends a variety of apples to create a “complex” flavor but I just used a bunch that I got from Costco on super sale and I had all the other ingredients on hand.  I take that back-I had to buy the mace—which why the heck did I do that when I only needed an 1/8 of a teaspoon?!  Oh well.

You put everything into the crock pot on low and let it cook down for 10 hours.  I did this overnight and when I woke up the house smelled so good.  Then, since I didn’t have a Foley mill, (sad face) I put the metal sieve over the top of the crock pot and took the apples out a bit at a time and mushed them through with the back of the spoon.  It worked.  A bit time consuming but it worked.  When this step is complete crank the Crockpot up to high and leave apples in an extra hour so the apple butter thickens up.  Next take out of cooker and put in a bowl in the fridge.  I have now put the butter into little mason jars and are ready to hand out a few as gifts.  Spread it on toast in the morning…mmmmmm.  So good.I had to include this picture too.  Lil made the labels for the apple butter.  This is her turkey.  I love it and had a hard time parting with that jar.

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