I’d intended to post a recipe for apple pie filling today, but I’ve tried it about three times and it’s not working. Well…it works when it’s “fresh” but it doesn’t can so well. I wanted to be able to can it, but I need to play with it more. I cannot seem to remember what I did to make it so easy two years ago, either. Oh well…I’ll figure it out.
Instead I have this crock pot apple butter, that really is very simple. And yummy. My daughter swore she didn’t like it (because she doesn’t like butter…), but she got very curious about it as she saw me adding spices — she loves applesauce with cinnamon — eventually tried it, and decided she really likes it. And it really is so very easy.
Ingredients:
- 2 c. thick applesauce
- 2 c. filtered water
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Directions:
I use my little machine — peel, core, and slice — to cut up my apples and I put them in a big stock pot. I add about 1/2 c. water, then cover it and allow it to simmer on medium heat for 30 – 60 minutes. I stir about every 10 – 15 minutes to allow the apples to all steam and begin to fall apart. This results in very chunky, thick applesauce.
The applesauce goes into the blender. It’s much too thick right now and it won’t make good apple butter this way. I tried it two years ago. No go. Add the water.
Blend this until completely smooth and rather thin. Add it to a Crock pot.
Add your spices.
Stir it all up, then turn it on low.
Leave it for 6 – 7 hours, until it is smooth and thick and cooked down. Stir occasionally if you like, but you don’t have to.
Fill your jars with the hot apple butter. I like to use half-pint jars when possible because we won’t use a ton more than this before it would go bad.
Put the jars into the water bath and process for 20 minutes. Then you’ve got canned apple butter, ready for winter!
**This post has been entered in Frugal Days and Sustainable Ways.**
How do you like to serve apple butter?
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TESTING!
Hi, I like the whole idea of this recipe, but, you mention peeling and coring apples, but I did not see any amount of fresh apples in the ingredients list. Is there an amount that I will need that is not on the ingredient list? Thanks!
If you want to make fresh applesauce for this, it’s about 2 lbs. of apples.
How many apples did you use and what kind of apples do you think are best?
For a quart of thick applesauce, it’s about 4 lbs. of apples. So for the 2 c. called for, about 2 lbs. Not sure how many that was since it varies based on size. I like to do a mix of apples, golden delicious, jonathon, and macintosh, or whatever heirloom varieties. I think a mix produces a better final product than a single variety.
Sounds great! what are your favorite apples to use for applesauce & apple butter?
Jonathon, Macintosh, and golden delicious. This year I had some of those plus a random mix of heirloom varieties, that worked out really well.
I canned applie pie filling one year, and it turned out great. I just prepared the apples as for pie, with sugar and spices and thickener, packed them tightly into the jars, and canned. They produced their own liquid, of course, as they cooked in the hot-water bath, and when I wanted to make a pie I just emptied a quart jar into a pie shell, covered with a top crust, and baked until the crust was done.
Ironically I canned apple pie filling too, two years ago. And it worked great! But…now I can’t remember how I did it. lol. I think I figured it out this afternoon though (a new way).
Yummy! I do wish there were an apple orchard near us!!!
You can cook the apples down to applesauce in the crock pot too. Last year when I did apple butter (from apples of an unknown variety on a German friend’s trees), all I did was peel, core, and quarter my apples into the crock pot. I covered them, and left them on low for about 8 hours. At that point, I blended them (I really do <3 my immersion blender!) and added cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (probably near to a tablespoon of each), covered, and let it cook on low for about 8 more hours or so. I didn't can it; I froze it and thawed for use. It kept really well in the fridge/freezer, and was a beautiful burnt sienna sort of color…and was delicious!
I'm looking forward to free apples again this fall…should only be a couple more weeks here in Germany!
Is the 1/2 cup of water added to the apples in the beginning, part of the 2 cups called for in the ingredients list?
Yes, but that’s not from the recipe list. Sorry — I wrote the recipe as if the applesauce were already made, but then explained how to make it too!
hi! plz explain the water bath process. I am new to creating foods to be stored and your recipe has sparked an interest!
Thanks!
http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2011/9/14/canning-and-preserving-water-bath-method.html
Yummy!! What do you put the apple butter on? And what machine did you use to peel/core the apples?
I like to put it on English muffins often times.
I’m not sure what the machine itself is called — but if you look up an apple peeler/corer you should find one.