With several festivals named in it's honor, apple butter has to be one of the greatest things about harvest time, and certainly one of the most versatile preserves to have on your shelves. Ridiculously easy to make in the slow cooker; apple butter makes fabulous muffins, you can eat it with pancakes, ice cream, waffles or just spread it on toast. Really, it's probably possible to fill a book with ideas about what to do with apple butter, so let's crack on and take a look at two great recipes for it!
Although there are many ways to make apple butter, here's a great way to get started:
Slow cooker apple butter
Ingredients5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup apple cider
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions1. Put all ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 1 hour.
3. Stir and continue to cook on low for another 12 hours or more, until you have a thicker dark brown sauce. Stir occasionally.
4. Uncover and cook on low for an additional hour, if a thicker apple butter is desired.
The best part about apple butter is that you can make it entirely your own. Like a sweeter butter? Use more sugar. Like a tartness? Try using Granny Smiths. You can also mix in a few pears for a different flavor profile. Once you are comfortable, try varying the amount of spices you use until you create your own signature apple butter.
If you grow your own apples, or if someone kindly offers you some of their harvest, then definitely give apple butter a whirl this year!
