Apple Butter

 

Photo by Life as a Healthy Mom

Colorful apples of red, green, and yellow signify my favorite season,...autumn.  As the leaves begin to change color, and the crisp, morning air requiring a jacket to keep me warm, I always begin thinking of ways to include apples into some form of recipe.  There are times I feel like Bubba reciting ways to cook shrimp in the movie, Forrest Gump.....only mine is in apple form.  Applesauce, apple pie, apple rings, apple cider, apple sauce muffins, apple cake, apple butter.....need I continue? 

Today I am talking about apple butter.  I rarely eat a piece of toast anymore (especially since being gluten free), so the only time I do have one, it has apple butter on it.  My husband recently brought home a bag of apples from a co-worker's apple tree! I love it when friends and family share the bounty. 

As long as you are patient, apple butter is very easy to make, and you can make it in the crock pot, too. That is how I do it.

Crock pot Apple Butter

 3-4 pounds of apples, cut into cubes

1 c brown sugar*

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp clove

¼ tsp ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

½ cup water

Juice of ½ lemon

1.)  Add all ingredients into crock pot.  Turn crock pot on low.

2.)  After three hours, stir apple mixture.  Turn crock pot to high. 

3.)  After 3 hours, check apples.  The apples should be very soft.  Use an emulsifier to blend
       apple mixture until smooth.
4.)  Turn crock pot to low and cook for another 30 minutes to an 1 hour to thicken.
5.)  Let cool and store in glass container.

This recipe makes about 2 1/2 pints of apple butter. 

 Note:  I didn't have brown sugar on hand, so I mixed sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses)

Enjoy!