Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Crockpot Caramel Apple Butter

Try to say that ten times fast.

Today we're going to make apple butter the easy way. If I suggested the regular recipe for apple or pear butter you would go screaming into the night. Few people are willing to make the commitment to apple butter because it requires an insane amount of stirring. You literally stir unitl your arms fall off. I will make the effort for pear butter because it's crazy delicious.

The recipe contains brown sugar which gives the final product a slight caramel taste. First you're going to need a large crockpot.

CROCKPOT CARAMEL APPLE BUTTER

16 cups peeled and cubed apples
1/2 water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

Peel the apples

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and cut into one inch cubes.

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Put 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the crock pot and add the apples.

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Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 hours, stirring occasionally to break down the apples.

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Remove the cover and cook for another 4 hours. Force the mixture, small amounts at a time through a potato ricer or a sieve to remove any fibers or seeds.

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Add the spices and the sugars and mix well.

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Return the mixture to the crock pot and cook for 2 more hours.

Cool, put into jars and store in the refrigerator.

In addition to eating apple butter on hot toast or biscuits you can put a dollop on your hot oatmeal.

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NOTE: If you don't want to peel the apples you can cook them with the peels on. This makes the sieve process more difficult. If you stop cooking at the 8 hour stage you'll have some nice applesauce. Enjoy!

19 comments:

Bella Della said...

Thanks for this recipe. I love anything that has crockpot in the title and my brother loves this stuff. I am thinking some homemade Christmas gifts. Yummy!

Vee said...

Now this sounds like my kind of apple butter recipe. Suzanne, you don't have an apple peeler? You need one stat! My only problem is that I don't have a crockpot...yet!

busha2 said...

Thank you for the recipe, but have one question, my crock pot is 5 quarts, and only has a low and high setting. I am going on the assumption that you place this on low for the amount of time you are saying to cook the apples.

Would love to see the recipe for pear butter.

Suzanne said...

This does make good gifts Belladella. Actually pear butter is much better but I don't have an outlet for pears at a reasonable cost.

Vee - I do need an apple peeler. I'm going to ask Santa Claus to bring me one. You don't have a crockpot?? How do you survive without one?

Busha2 - Thanks for the heads up. Correct, the apple butter cooks on low heat for the first portion of the cooking process. I've edited the post to correct that. Thanks. I'll try to dig out my recipe for pear butter.

FarmHouse Style said...

Great, now I am tounge tied and hungry:-)

I think I'll head over to Jaemour Farms this afternoon and pick up a box of their slightly bruised apples (they offer them at a nice discount), and give this recipe a try. We love apple butter at my house. Thanks for sharing.

Rhonda

Julie H said...

ummmm looks yummy!

life in red shoes said...

Mmmmm, I can smell from here.

LatigoLiz said...

That’s a nice sounding recipe, too! I might have to try it up to the apple sauce stage as I already did one batch of a Crock Pot apple butter just last week.

Mary said...

Oh yum!!! I'm getting the urge for some homemade apple sauce, just like my mom used to make...
xoxo,
Mary

Heidi said...

You have been tagged my sweet friend!!!

Rue said...

Hi Suzanne :)

Would you believe I've never had apple butter? Seriously, I have not, so I think it's time since I now have a recipe ;)

(((hugs)))
rue

PS Are you EVER going to visit me again?? I'm your biggest (or roundest) fan.. woman! LOL

Suzanne said...

Farm House - This box of bruised and bumped apples was only $1.50 at the local Italian market.

Mom Taxi Julie - It's really good. The next time around I think I'm going to reduce the amount of cinnamon and cloves. I don't like the taste of the apples to be overpowered.

Life in Red Shoes - That's because I left the window open so that the smell could waft over to your place.

Latigo Liz - Yeah, the applesauce is wonderful too.

Mary - I don't remember my mom ever making applesauce. She was too busy chasing four kids around.

Heidi - Tagged?? TAGGED??? I'm afraid. (No I'm not, but it sounded good)

Rue - Never had apple butter?? Where were you raised, under a rock. Seriously woman, get some apple butter. Rue, I'm so sorry. I've been reading but with the Farmer expecting me to mix concrete and stuff he's seriously cutting into my commenting time. I pinky swear to be better about it.

Heather said...

I bet is smells reeeeeally good while it's cooking.

StarKnits said...

YUM i just got a recipe like this from a lady at work. i'm sooo going to have to make this and soon!

KatKit13 said...

oooh, I could do this and put it through the Foley food mill.

I hit Caputo's today in Naperville. I scored a ginormous box of apples - 2 bucks.

I am soooo making this. :-)

Shelly said...

Hey thanks! I was going to make it the old fashioned way and you're right...it's a LOT of work ;)

karlascottage.typepad.com said...

That looks wonderful! doesn't a crock pot make life easier?

Ali said...

I used your method of making the apple butter and WOW it was a hit. A lady that buys apple butter from an orchard every year said the crockpot method was very good. Instead of the sugar I used B grade maple syrup and omitted the water. Thank you so much i am such a big fan!!

Jonathaneaem said...

ummmm looks yummy!