Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

:popcorn

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

:bag put the jars in the boiling water canner=put the jars in the big pot of boiling water

sorry and once they're all in there let the pot boil at a good boil for 10 minutes than use tongs to remove the jars after te 10 minutes is up. You should hear a pop from each jar as it seals) this will be after you take it out of the boiling water. If you can push down the lid to make it pop after the jars are cool, it didn't seal and I would eat that one right away.

---------- Post added at 06:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 AM ----------

Canned Apple Pie Filling:
This is a wonderful pie filling recipe. The trick to the syrup is put your sugar and spices in 8 or 8 1/2 cups of hot water; stir till dissolved and place over low heat. Then mix 2 cups water 3 TBS lemon juice and corn starch and set aside. After you have the apples sliced and packed in the jars bring the sugar mixture almost to boiling stir in your cornstarch mixture and pour it into the sugar mixture. Stir or wisk mixture quickly. When the white of the cornstarch disappears, laddle over sliced apples. It makes 9 quarts every time for me, but I pack the apples within 1 inch of the top.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 10 cups water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 pounds apples

1. in a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
2. Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.
3. Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
4. Fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife.
5. Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

It looks like a boiling water bath is fine for apple sauce and apple butter. I found a good site on pickyourown.com with some recipes and info when I googled canning apple butter.

---------- Post added at 07:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 AM ----------

So you don't put ANY white sugar and only the 1 cup of brown?

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Yeah...my whole goal was making it with no hfcs, no preservatives, and less sugar than store bought. 3 cups of sugar seemed like a lot....and you can knock it down even more and add sugar at the end if you think it needs more. :shrug3 I think last year I went down to 3/4c brown sugar. I tried 1/2c, but the rxn from the family was pretty grim :giggle

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Have you tried making it with honey or molasses? Or stevia?

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

What's the difference between wanting to make applesauce vs. apple butter?

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

mmmmmm....just made this and it is divine! Yummy!

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Apple butter is thick and dark and tangy, whereas apple sauce is thinner, not sticky and not a good breakfast spread. :no

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Right, but what makes the end result apple butter vs. apple sauce? How do I keep from making the wrong one if I just throw apples in the crock and wing it?

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Ah, I get it. Apple butter is cooked much longer. Think the difference between simple syrup and caramel. Much of the liquid evaporates off and the apples oxidize and the sugars caramelize a bit. It all comes together to make a rich, smooth, tangy spread. The crockpot is ideal because it all but eliminates the possibility of burning the butter.

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

I finally got around to making the apple butter.
It tastes really good, but it is thinner than I would like.
How can I thicken it up a bit?
Also, it has a slight chunky quality to it and is not as smooth as most butters I have tried. Should I put it in the blender or something?

ETA, it actually is the texture and consistency of applesauce. Is that the way it comes out?

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

I usually blend my apple butter after the apples are good and soft. Then I put it back in the crock pot for a couple of hours with the lid off. That should let some of the liquid evaporate and it will thicken up a bit. (You can do it on high, but watch it a bit).

I don't put any sugar in mine unless I taste it and it needs some at the end. I use sweeter apples, usually, though. The apples plus the spices (I use cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) are very good! I've seen recipes that used honey but haven't tried them.

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

Any apple butter I've seen looks like this. Dark and smooth and fairly thick. I took my immersion blender to my plum butter to get it smooth, and let it cook until it could pretty much hold up a spoon.

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

I am soooo upset. Seriously, I am about in tears. Pregnancy hormones and all, I guess.
This is bordering on OT, but whatever, I started the thread, so I am going to hijack it.

I had taken the lid off so it would thicken a bit, and came to read the thread for the canning instructions.
While I was away from the kitchen, my 18 month old and 3yo moved a chair to look in the pot. My guess is my 3yo wanted to eat some of the apple butter.
My 18 month old likes to play in the sink. I heard my 9 yo scream "No! Ewwwwww!" My 18 month old took the dish brush and stuck it in the pot! And I am not positive, but I think he might have stuck the brush down the sink disposal first.

Yuck!
Now I need to throw it out.
:(

Re: Crock Pot Apple Butter
 

:hugheart I'm so sorry. Could you put it on the stove and get it really hot, then not have to throw it away?

btw, I use my stick blender to smooth it out after cooking it in the crockpot.