Apple Butter - Canning Recipe

This is by far one of the easiest canning recipes! I do, however, have a secret weapon - my neighbor Elaine (that's us pictured at the bottom) who is sweet enough to come over and help me peel and chop all the apples. The rest of the process is easy! Follow the recipe to make your own apple butter, and you too can surprise yourself, along with your family and friends, with what a great homesteader you are becoming!

You do need a crockpot - so get that sucker out from your cupboard and set it to the side!

Ingredients:

6 Pounds (or so) Apples - peeled, cored, and quartered (you can do what I do and use an apple peeler/corer/slicer apparatus that helps you out big time!)

2 Cups Fresh Apple Cider

1 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 Teaspoon All Spice

1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice

First, pour the fresh apple cider into your crockpot and turn on high. As you process the apples, add them to the crockpot and stir as it fills up. You'll need to fill to the very top with apples, but they will cook down, so no worries! Let your crockpot do its thing for about 3 hours, remembering to stir frequently! This allows the apples to cook down consistently and gives you room to add all those yummy spices! Once the apples are cooked down, add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

Now, time to use your immersion blender. Blend those apples up to a consistency that you like. I personally like my apple butter a little thick, so I stop blending right before it looks like smooth mashed potatoes. Add back to the crockpot, turn on low, and remove the lid. You want to cook off all that extra liquid. This part takes several hours, so remember to stir to avoid any burning on the sides. If you are like me and do most of your cooking at night - I will turn my crockpot on warm and crack the lid before I go to bed. I turn it back on low in the morning, if there is still too much liquid.

Once the apple butter looks about done, prepare your canner, jars and lids (directions on how to do this should be in your canner instruction booklet). Ladle the apple butter into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Make sure to remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Dip a rag or a paper towel in some vinegar and wipe the rim of the jar to remove any butter. Center lid on jar and screw band down until finger tight.

Place jars in canner, making sure they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes to remove the jars, cool and then store. Remember to share some with your sweet neighbors and maybe they will help you next time like mine does! Enjoy!!!