Making homemade apple butter really isn’t difficult, although it does take a long time to get the mixture to the right consistency and to have the flavors meld. For this reason, most Southern cooks now use a crock pot to make apple butter.
The name apple butter is a little misleading. Cooks often think that the recipe includes lots of butter. In fact, there’s no butter added to apple butter. Instead it is used as a spread similar to butter. But it has a sweeter flavor and that wonderful apple taste.
Traditionally apple butter is served on homemade biscuits (although canned biscuits are fine) or toast, but apple butter is also really good on potato pancakes.
Homemade Apple Butter Recipe in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds tart cooking apples
- 1 large jar of apple sauce unsweetened (50 ounces total)
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cups apple juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Directions:
- Peel and core apples and cut in small pieces or chunks. Use tart or baking apples. Granny Smith is a common apple used in the South, but there are many varieties that work fine and give different flavor variations to apple butter.
- Spray a little Pam in the crock (makes clean up easier).
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and then pour into crock pot or slow cooker.
- Set crock pot on low and let apple butter slow cook overnight or around 9 hours.
- Taste the apple butter and add sugar or spices to taste. Since the tartness of apples can vary and tastes also differ, you may find that you prefer a little more sweetener or spices.
- The apple butter will still be thin at this point, so remove the lid from the crock pot and let the apple butter continue to simmer until it is thickened. It should be similar in consistency to a thick milk gravy; however, the color will be dark and rich.
- The finished apple butter can be home canned or stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for around three weeks.
If you find that you enjoy making and eating Apple Butter, then try out an old fashioned Apple Butter Stack Cake. It is a classic mountain recipe. You can just double the recipe above and have plenty of Apple Butter for your biscuits plus to try out this cake too.
Other Favorite Southern Apple Recipes:
Southern Skillet Fried Apples - If you're looking for a quick and tasty recipe, try making apples in your skillet. It doesn't take long, and skillet apples are yummy.
Apple Meatloaf - Enjoy something a little different. Try out this Southern meatloaf with apples. It makes a nice comfort main dish with some fruits to boot.
Apple Brown Betty - This recipe has been a favorite for years. Easy to make, it can be served as a side dish or a dessert.
Cyndi Allison - Southern born and fed, Cyndi Allison is a college lecturer and newspaper advisor as well as being a freelance writer. She writes on ...
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