Today I have been making one of my favorite EASY recipes (actually I should tell you right now that I will never post a hard recipe - it's just not me.) I also ADORE using my crock pot, she never let's me down, ever. (OK unless the ceramic bowl breaks because I chopped in the crock pot too hard, but that's another story)
CROCK POT APPLE BUTTER
Here are the simple instructions:
Slice up apples or pears
(using mis-shaped, fallen pears or apples from your own tree is perfect!)
Fill up crock pot to the brim
Add 1/2 cup vinegar (any kind but I like the added health benefits of apple cider vinegar)
Cook on HIGH for 8 hours (start 1 pm?)
Next lower heat to LOW for another 10 hours (9pm-7am?)
After a total of 18 hours cooking add:
1/2 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar
EXCEPT I try to lower the sugar in my recipes!!!! SOOOOOO
Instead (and optional) of the above I used 1/2 cup Agave Nectar and Stevia to taste (about 1 tsp of the NuStevia brand)
3 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of cloves (or you could just use pumpkin pie spice)
Mix in and cook again on LOW for 4 more hours. (7am - 11am?)
Put the Pear Butter in jars and seal. That is all that huge crock pot made - 5 small jars - BUT IT TASTES SO GOOD!!!!
This goes PERFECT with my Oatmeal Honey Homemade Wheat Bread. (ya, it's the best bread recipe you'll ever make!)
Enjoy the rest of your week my friends!!
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Delish! I made and canned apple butter once about four years ago after we went to greenbluff for peaches and found out it wasn't peach season, so we thought we'd pick a "few" apples. We brought home 25 pounds. That's a lot of stinkin' apple butter. This makes me want to do it again! Although I will use sugar.... lots and lots of sugar. Don't tell Isobel!
ReplyDeleteYum, yum, yum, Love the post and the photo of your pears!
ReplyDeletewow that sounds so yummy I may have to try this. Thanks Selina
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to try this too. I tried apple butter once on the stove top and because I stopped stirring - it burnt - after hours of stirring. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteOh. my.goodness!!! Please share this with my readers on Vintage Pollyanna--they would love it! http://vintagepollyanna.blogspot.com/2011/01/tell-me-tuesday-9.html
ReplyDeleteThat looks DELICIOUS!!! And thanks for the sugar substitutions. I've cut back on sugar, too. I love recipes that I can eat without feeling guilty!
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love that you got rid of that white sugar. I bet honey would work great too!
ReplyDeleteThe Nourishing Homemaker
http://nurturedfamilylife.blogspot.com
I love apple butter and I cook in my crock-pot at least once a week, so why not make it in my crock? Your recipe looks super easy, I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I had a question about safety, though: if I gave them out as a gift, would I have to tell the recipient to put them in the fridge right away? Or can they stay at room temperture?
ReplyDeleteReply @ Kristen
ReplyDeleteTo be honest with you I'm not sure about safety. I sterilize the jars hot in my dishwasher and pull them right out and fill them with the super hot apple butter (straight from the Crockpot) I put the lids on and make sure they seal. I am pretty sure the correct way to do this would be to seal them in a water bath like you would a canning process. For me, I've never had any issue and I don't put them right in the refrigerator but like I said, if you wanted to be extra safe I would do a traditional canning waterbath process. Hope that helps!
I have made this and LOVE it! I have given it away to everyone and they LOVE it... I currently have a batch in my crock pot right now :) but I was wondering how big your crock pot is? I have been adjusting down since my crock pot looked smaller but today, I was writing the directions down in my "love and make again and again" recipe book and thought I better be sure of the amounts :) Also, I do can mine in a water bath just to be sure that all the time and yummy ingredients don't go to waste! It is super easy and makes me feel better opening a jar 11 months after it was canned!! Thanks so much for the tut!
ReplyDeleteReply@Shmmry17
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to tell us how you liked the butter!! I believe that crock pot was a 6 Qt (I have a new one now, broke that other one!) You are really smart to do it in the water bath. If I can find all my canning stuff I'll probaly do that next time.
We too are working to cut down on our sugar intake but LOVE apple butter :). Thanks.
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