Apple butter, also called apple molasses, is a sweet fruit preserve that is similar to a highly concentrated apple sauce. A long, slow cooking time caramelizes the apples, bringing out their natural sweetness and turning them a golden brown.
Apple butter has been enjoyed in the United States since colonial times. Traditionally, apple butter is laboriously prepared outdoors in large copper kettles. But you can enjoy homemade apple butter with little fuss if you use a slow cooker.
This recipe is perfect if you have recently gone apple picking and have an abundance of apples. It’s also wonderful to prepare in fall when apples are in season and inexpensive at the grocery store and farmers’ market.
This recipe uses less sugar than many recipes, letting the natural flavor of the apples shine through. Cook the apples overnight, and wake up to a house that smells like autumn!
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. apples—any variety can be used, tart or sweet, firm or softer-flesh. Use an assortment of apples for a more complex flavor
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- 1 cup sugar
- the zest of half a lemon, grated
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
Steps
- Peel and core the apples and chop roughly. Place into Crock Pot®
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix together.
- Cook on low setting for 10 hours.
- For a chunkier apple butter, stir with a wire whisk until you get the desired consistency. For a smoother texture, blend with an immersion blender or puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Yields approximately 6 cups of apple butter.
Serving Apple Butter
Apple butter is delicious for breakfast on buttered toast or an English muffin. It is also commonly served on pancakes, waffles, or French toast.
Apple butter can also complement savory meals. For a hearty lunch, make a sandwich of turkey and sharp cheddar on crusty country bread and spread liberally with apple butter. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, apple butter is spread on rye bread and served as an accompaniment to pork and sauerkraut.
Storing Apple Butter
Prepared apple butter will store safely in the fridge for several weeks in an airtight container. This recipe also freezes beautifully. For long-term storage, you can also home can apple butter, provided you follow the correct canning steps.
Apple butter makes a wonderful gift for friends and family, and this recipe yields more than enough to share. Pour prepared apple butter into a mason jar and decorate with ribbon for a hostess, holiday, or housewarming gift.
