This tasty apple butter is a real slow cooker, but well worth the wait. Depending on the sweetness of the apples used, the amount of sugar may be adjusted to taste.
Like other users, I found this a bit too sweet... ok, a lot too sweet. I use nice, tart Fuji apples and about a cup of sugar. Also, I find that I have to cook this down on the stove after it comes out of the crock if I want that nice, thick buttery texture, but it's worth it to start it in the crock because it gives it a sort of caramel aftertaste that's hard to get on the stove. Remember: you can burn fruit butter, but you can't overcook it! The longer you cook this stuff, the better it will be: if you get tired of it one night, put it in the fridge and cook it some more the next night! My very best batch ever was cooked over three nights and canned the third. Another idea: If you make too much, there is a fabulous recipe for Morning Glory Muffins ( http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/morningglorymuffins.asp ) here on AllRecipes that calls for apple butter and is out of this world!
Read MoreIn my opinion, this recipe needs some serious tweaking. The first time I made it, I used only three cups of sugar, and it came out so sickeningly sweet I could barely eat it. A few others enjoyed it, but not most. The second time I made it, I used Braeburn apples and used 1 1/2 cups brown sugar. I used 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, and 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg. It was perfect with those changes. I really can't see how it's possible to choke it down with all the sugar in the original recipe.
Read More Like other users, I found this a bit too sweet... ok, a lot too sweet. I use nice, tart Fuji apples and about a cup of sugar. Also, I find that I have to cook this down on the stove after it comes out of the crock if I want that nice, thick buttery texture, but it's worth it to start it in the crock because it gives it a sort of caramel aftertaste that's hard to get on the stove. Remember: you can burn fruit butter, but you can't overcook it! The longer you cook this stuff, the better it will be: if you get tired of it one night, put it in the fridge and cook it some more the next night! My very best batch ever was cooked over three nights and canned the third. Another idea: If you make too much, there is a fabulous recipe for Morning Glory Muffins ( http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/morningglorymuffins.asp ) here on AllRecipes that calls for apple butter and is out of this world!
This is excellent. I used 2 cups of sugar and found that to be enough. During the last hour with the lid off the crockpot, I used my handy dandy mixer (the kind with one blade that you can use to mix various ingredients in a tall glass) to break up chunks of apple. It gave the apple butter a great smooth texture that I couldn't achieve with the whisk. I made three batches of this apple butter last year to give as gifts and I am back to this recipe to make it again this year. I was curious to see my review of this recipe from last year and discovered that I forgot to write a review! A year late but sincere just the same. I hope you give this a try. It is so easy and you will look like a pro to your family and friends. The more you give this out as gifts, the more you will hear people tell you that they have/had a relative who used to make apple butter. Enjoy!!
Terrific, apple butter. I made this in two crocks. One batch with sugar, I cut the sugar down to 2 cups, added more cinnamon,and nutmeg. The other batch I made it sugarless,I used the herb stevia (I grow my own), added white grape juice (unsweeten) for some liquid. Both turned out great. Plan to make this again soon.
An excellent recipe. Well worth the time. I did not cut the sugar, I added 2 more pounds of apples instead. I canned mine in a hot water bath, so I didn't have to put them in the freezer. Thank you for a great recipe.
I halved the recipe to see it I would like it. It was great. My crock pot was almost full with half of the recipe. I could not have made a full recipe. I cut the sugar down by half as others had suggested. Next time I'm going to try putting it on right before bed and letting it cook overnight. I used Jonathan apples. I saw on another site that said Jonathan, Golden Delicious, and Macintosh apples were good choices for apple butter.
This is a WONDERFUL recipe and is SO easy! The smell alone is worth making it for; it is very reminiscent of autumn. I used my apple "corer/peeler/slicer" (which, by the way is definitely worth the money if you make lots of apple pies, apple butters, etc.) and prepared just about the recommended 5 1/2 lbs. of golden delicious apples. I cut those slices into tiny pieces and filled up my slow cooker. I whisked together 3/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, the cinnamon, ground cloves and salt, and, at the recommendation of other reviewers, added 1/2 tsp. of allspice. I poured that mixture over the apples and stirred with a wooden spoon which seemed to coat all the apples with some of the sugar and spice mixture. I kept the slow cooker on high for one hour, then turned it down to low when I went to bed. Got up in the morning and used my stick blender (another GREAT tool) to puree the apple butter completely smooth. Let the apple butter cook on low for the rest of the morning and around noon I took off the lid and let it cook for another hour to thicken slightly. This is a superb recipe and would be an excellent gift.
Very tasty version. Just be prepared for MANY HOURS of cooking! The final reducing stage (supposed to be 1 hour) really took 6 hours in the Crock-Pot. You don't have to "tend" it during this time, but you should be prepared for the time. I cut sugar down to 2 cups and it was still super sweet, so it might be eligible for further cutting. Also added 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Delicious!
This was a GREAT recipe! I filled my crock pot with washed apples (mounding a little), then peeled and cored them. Threw them in my food processor batch by batch. I added a little more cinnamon and cloves (because I like them a lot). Let them sit for 1 hour and then cooked for 1 hour on high, then cooked on low overnight (about 13 hours - I slept in). I used a whisk to smooth it out and then let it cook for about another hour uncovered. This was perfect. Those of you who are cutting the sugar, you are going to have problems getting your butter to thicken. Sugar helps it to gel properly. Sugar water turns into a syrup and thickens as it heats. Processed for 10 minutes and we have delicious apple butter for us and family and friends (I have a 6 quart crock pot, used honeycrisp apples), and this made about 9 cups of apple butter! Definitely will be making more! 10/4/11 Ok, I've made 4 batches of this now. This is literally the best recipe I have ever tried. Using 1 cup of brown sugar for one of the cups of white sugar makes it much richer. I have never had a problem with just whisking it to smoothness at the end (and I've used red delicious). Also if you want a lot of apple butter for gifts or self. Call your local orchard and ask about 2nds or windfall apples that you pick off the ground. I purchased 2 bushels for $10 (88 pounds of apples). Hence the 4 batches. Let me tell you this is better than slaving over a stove ALL day! TASTES SO GOOD!
Very simple and easy recipe. A few helpful hints for those that are making apple butter for the first time. 1. Look at your choice of apples before peeling. Some apples are tart, sweet, crisp, soft… some are ideal for baking and others for eating. The sweeter the apple the less sugar you will want to put in your butter. So make sure and taste your apple before you put your sugar and spices and everything nice in the pot. 2. Peel, then use your kitchen gadget to core and slice at once. No need to finely chop it will cook down then you can use a stick blender if you need. 3. I use a cheap slow cooker and I have found that it takes longer for my butter to “thicken” up after the hour uncovered. I cook mine uncovered on high for an hour, and then move to low for another hour or so. Stir that bad boy and you can visually see when that butter is ready even before doing the “test” 4. Do the “Test”, put your saucer in the freezer an hour or so before your butter is ready. After taking the cold saucer out, put a small teaspoon of the butter on the plate. If your butter is runny, then keep cooking, you are not ready to jar it up. Once it mounds up and trust me you will know what I mean when you see it, then you can jar that yummy goodness up :D 5. And last but not least, PLEASE, taste your butter as it is cooking. Before you thicken it up you can add a lil of this and that to make it just perfect for YOUR tastebuds.
Excellent recipe! I halved the recipe since I didn't have enough apples. I used 10 Golden Delicious apples and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I cooked it in the crockpot for about 10 hours, the last hour uncovered. I stirred every hour or so with a wire whisk. I sealed my butter in Ball jars inside a water bath for about 15 minutes at a boil. If you don't know how to do a water bath, check out "Water Bath Canning for Dummies" on Youtube. If you don't have the giant water bath can and equipment, you can use another large pot, but be sure to place small towels between jars while boiling so they don't knock around into each other and break. I hope this review helps!
For Barb Maxwell--I have used this test also to check for the right consistency. The method I prefer is to stand a wooden spoon straight up in the middle of my apple better. Let go and if it remains straight up, your butter is done.
I can't say enough great things about this recipe. This was my first try at making apple butter and I couldn't ask for an easier recipe to follow. I used less sugar like other reviews had suggested and ended up using 1 cup brown and 1 cup white sugar. I double the amount of cloves because it's one of my favorites, and also used 2 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon. Not too sweet, not too spicy... Just pure perfection! I filled my 5-quart slow cooker to the brim with the chopped apples and used a fork to press down the sugar mixture before putting the lid on. After 11 hours had passed I transferred the apples to a blender in batches and pureed the butter until smooth. I then returned the puree to the slow cooker with the lid off for another 1 1/2 hours. The batch took a total of 12 1/2 hours and yielded an exact 8 cups of butter. I have processed it all in a water bath and they are sealed and ready for the holidays! Thank you Terri for this amazing recipe! It will be used again and again!
There is no reason for all the sugar. I used just one cup and it came out great. Take my word for it, 4 cups is not necessary.
In my opinion, this recipe needs some serious tweaking. The first time I made it, I used only three cups of sugar, and it came out so sickeningly sweet I could barely eat it. A few others enjoyed it, but not most. The second time I made it, I used Braeburn apples and used 1 1/2 cups brown sugar. I used 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, and 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg. It was perfect with those changes. I really can't see how it's possible to choke it down with all the sugar in the original recipe.
Very good recipe. Where my husband grew up in Ohio each fall they had a festival that included homemade Apple Butter. With a few minor changes, this is much the same. I used 4 different varieties of apples (the more the merrier I say). I filled my 6qt. crock-pot to the rim with the peeled and diced apples. Topped with 1 c. white sugar and 1 c. light brown sugar. 1 heaping tsp. cinnamon, a few sprinkles of each of cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Covered and cooked apples on High for three hours. Stirring about every hour. Then turned down to low and cooked with the cover tilted to allow the steam to escape for 6 more hours. Stirring every so often with a whisk to break up apples. Finished by blending with my hand blender just to to make it a little smoother. Perfect !!
The number of servings sounds overwhelming but it really isn't... Keep in mind they consider a serving to be the amount you'd spread on 1 piece of bread. I tried cutting down on the number of servings the first time I made this and was sorely disappointed with the outcome amount since the apples shrink so much in the process. Awesome recipe though. It also works fine if the sugar is replaced with Splenda (I used the same amount of it as was called for of sugar) for those with Diabetic dinner guests.
I think that with some tweaks this is great. It does rely heavily on the type of apples used though. The sugar and seasonings can be adjusted depending on the apples and your own preferences. I used 6 pounds of McIntosh apples. I peeled and cored them and chopped finely then put them into the crockpot as directed. I reduced the sugar by 1 cup and added some additional baking spices to suit my tastes (two kinds of cinnamon, pumpkin pie seasoning, maple powder). After the first hour cooking I took my immersion blender and broke the apples down, but left it with some chunks. Then for the next 10 hrs I stirred occasionally while it was on low. I really thought this wasn’t going to come together, it looked soupy, but I kept going because it smelled great anyway. When I took the lid off for the final hour, I used the immersion blender to smooth it out and let it simmer for the hour. At the end of that hour, surprise surprise, it was a beautiful dark brown, consistent, rich and delicious. So don’t give up, see it through to the end and you will be rewarded!
This was so great! I am not a very experienced cook but this was SO easy. I used 6 pounds of Golden Delicious apples that I peeled, cored, and ran through the food processor to get them very fine. I used 1 cup white sugar and 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar. I didn't use the cloves and used about a tablespoon of cinnamon. I actually cooked mine about 12 hours with the lid on, then about 3 with it off, stirring with a whisk occasionally to get it smooth. So good!
I've been making apple butter for 3 days now and the house smells great! This recipe is easy because you don't have to babysit the butter. However, it does keep you involved for a full 24 hours from start to finish if canning the butter. On the up-side, it is very flavorful! I opted to follow other reviewers suggestions and added more spices; 1/2 t. allspice, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/2 t. nutmeg and cut the sugar down to 1 3/4 cups (1 c. brown sugar and 3/4 c. white sugar). It is so sweet and so good! I found to get the thick consistency, I had to keep it in the crockpot for many more hours than written. 1 hour on high (lid on), approx. 12 hours on low (overnight) and then approx. 6-8 more hours with the lid off. I did not need an immersion blender, I was able to whisk the butter easily into the desired consistency of apple butter. I only got 3 pint-sized jars from the 5 1/2 pounds that the recipe calls for...that's why I've been working at this for 3 days. As soon as I can 1 batch, I start another one, as it takes 24 hours. I plan to give these as part of my Christmas gifts and hostess gifts for the many gatherings ahead in the holiday season. I do love the recipe and will probably always prepare the apples from my tree in this manner. I makes me think of the great products my mother used to make from the tree when we were little. :0)
This is an excellent way to use up all those extra apples that you bought at Costco because the price was soooooo good. The apple butter is dark and delicious. I doubled the recipe, but didn't quite double the sugar. I cooked it for one hour on high then about 11 hours on low and then about an hour uncovered. Used my immersion blender at the end, and it became really smooth. Great recipe. I processed the jars in a hot water bath for about 30 minutes for long lasting storage. The jars will make perfect hostess gifts.
Fantastic!! I did a few things differently, but the results were awesome. I didn't weigh my apples. I just filled my 7Q crockpot within an inch and a half of the top. I cut the sugar down to 2 cups even though I'm sure I had more like 7lbs of apples. I increased the cinnamon to 1.5 Tbsp, the cloves to 1/2 tsp, and then added 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. I kept the salt the same. This was my first apple butter and it was fantastic. My extremely picky children were happy too! One more thing, get these going while you sleep and take the lid off in the morning so that you have plenty of time to let the apple butter condense. It took mine more like 5 hours after taking the lid off. Make this!!!
I used MacIntosh apples and I peeled,cored, and chopped them. I did use a total of 3 cups of sugars.Half and half amounts of brown sugar and white sugar and it was not at all too sweet, just yummy. I used 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teasponn each of salt, ground cloves and allspice. After cooking (covered) on high for 10 hours, I blended the mixture to a smooth consistancy and then cooked (uncovered) for about 1.5 hours. I was told by my husband that this is the best apple butter he has EVER tasted! Excellent recipe!
Good and easy. I put 13 large peeled & cored apples though the food processor to shred them. I only used 2 c sugar. Freezes well.
We used Braeburn apples, with 1/2 the sugar and it turned out PERFECT! Jonathan’s with 1/2 sugar have a slight tartness...experiment. Make this with the kids, they will have fun, my daughter would give it 10 stars. 4H project in the making. We used the Cuiseart hand blender to puree the apples in the crock pot, and then left the lid off to thicken.
I love slow cooker recipes. This one is used every year in the fall when I get a pile of apples for cheap from the farmer's market. I typically use Jonathan apples, although JoniGold's were lovely and allowed me to reduce the sugar a little. I would recommend finding your own spice combination preference. This turned out a bit strong for me. Perhaps use a spice combo from an apple pie recipe that you like. It's a great recipe and I think the spices are very "personal" -- each person needs to find their own exact combo.
I had never made apple butter before and was very pleased with the results of this recipe. I decreased the recipe be half and chopped the apples (golden delicious) very fine in the food processor so I wouldn't have to deal with chunks later on. I only used 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. I increased the spices a little. I didn't have allspice, so used a substitution I found for it on another site with states 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves plus 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg can be substituted for 1 teaspoon ground allspice. I will make this again, and only use 1 cup of sugar.
Absolutely delicious! You really can use a cup of sugar and it's still pretty sweet. Also, it seemed kind of thin towards the end, but in the last hour, 9 1/2 exactly, the apples started to turn into the apple butter consistancy and it was perfect!!! I love having such a great easy recipe. We like it a bit chunky so I chopped by hand and it was still pretty creamy. It lasts a long time, too!
This is way yummy! I was really sure that the recipe wouldn't work out when I put it together and started the slow-cooker before I went to bed last night, but it turned out stupendous! I used 3 cups of sugar but may cut it back by another half a cup. Also, I cooked it uncovered to thicken it almost 3 hours. It smelled soooo gooooooood while it was cooking. Thanks
Growing up on a farm, where mom canned everything apple butter was by far my favorite. This was just as good as mom used to make. After reading several reviews and after watching it cook for 9 or so hours, I was concerned that I would have to use a blender to get it to the right consistency. Don't! Who wants the added mess. Just let it cook a little longer and use a whisk like the original recipe says to. I read somewhere that best apples for apple butter were Jonathan, Golden Delicious or Macintosh. I used Macintosh and it was great. I froze the extras in little half-pint containers. I wished I had made more to give away to friends.
sorry for the bad review, but it just didnt work out for me. i was so encouraged to try this recipe because of the great reviews. mine was bland, and very dark... almost burned, and i didnt even cook it for as long.i may make it again, but for right now, just three stars. :(
Real apple butter requires a copper kettle, lots of firewood, and apx. 8 hours of constant stirring. We do several hundred quarts every year at church. It turns out rich, dark brown with a luxurious texture. This is thick applesauce.
This is a FABULOUS recipe. I did alter it a bit because I don't like it really sweet. Because my apples were Golden Delicious and Galla, I only used 2 1/2 cups sugar. I used about 10 apples. I didn't have ground clove, so I used 3 whole cloves tied in cloth. I also didn't finely chop the apples. They were coarsely chopped. It still had a great consistency. It turned out to have tiny pieces of apple. The smell it gives to your home will bring you much comfort!!! Thanks for a great base recipe!!!
I thought this recipe was great. I also used less sugar - about 2 cups, one cup brown and one cup white. I cooked on high for one hour, overnight on low (12 hours), I then threw the mixture in my blender and put back in the crockpot, still on low, for another 8 hours (it seems to keep separating when I did the saucer test). New to canning, I had no idea what I was doing, and the instructions that came with the jars was talking about using a processor - which I don't have. I finally found the video: Tips for Water Bath Canning for Dummies on YouTube. Of course, I watched it after I started the canning process. I look forward to making it again - with the canning knowledge I have now. The recipe though - great!!
Great! Don't take the time to chop and peel though. I just used a corer that also slices them at the same time. Threw the slices in their peel and all and then blended it. You couldn't even tell. Saved me so much time since I was using smaller apples. I'm always looking for shortcuts
This was a wonderful recipe! I also halved the sugar as some recommended because I like a less sweet butter than that sold in the stores. It was really easy because I used an apple pealer-correr and then shreaded the apples in a food processor. After it was cooked I pureeded in the processor again and then canned it. Yummy!
I am glad I read the reviews before making this recipe. I also cut back on the sugar (I used a little less than half and was still plenty sweet) but used the same amount of spices. I used golden delicious apples...yummy! It turned out wonderful! I also let it cook longer than stated in the recipe, and it turned out better. I let it cook about 10 hours with the lid on, and 2 hours with the lid off. Turned out wonderful! I froze some, and canned some. When I made the full recipe amount, I actually got more than 4 pints...almost 5 pints! I have gotten many complements on it so far! It was easy using the crock pot..I let it cook overnight so I didn't have to worry about it most of the time. It was great. Will definately make again!
I used golden delicious and rome apples. I shredded them with the food processor. I used 2 cups of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar. I put about an 1/8 teaspoon of cloves and allspice. Cooked for 11 on low after the first hour and about 5 with lid off to thicken. 3 cups of sugar is enough to make it sweet and not over powering. If you like tart butter then i would cut it back to about a cup of sugar. I ran it through the food processor before I let it cook without the lid. If you have a big crock pot you can double the recipe it fits fine. It will yield about 50% of what you started with.
As a first time apple butter maker, I thought this recipe was quick, easy, and very tasty.
This was delicious but very sweet (even using just half the sugar). I would suggest to start with just 1 cup of sugar rather than 4 cups, and then add more sugar later during the cooking process if you want it sweeter.
This was my first time making apple butter and my first time canning...and I will definitely do it again! I have an oval crockpot. I filled it to the brim with chopped apples then added 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup splenda as others have suggested plus 2 tsp cinnamon and a sprinkle of cloves. Left on high for a couple of hours, then turned to low overnight. when I got up I tilted the lid to let steam escape and approximately 3-4 hours later I used an immersion blender, let it reheat and then canned it. Tastes wonderful!
This is the best Apple Butter I've ever had. The recipe was simple. I slow cooked mine on high for 2 hours, used an immersion blender, and then let it sit on low for 20 hours. I used the immersion blender several more times and took the lid off for a couple hours. This is the smoothest and tastiest I have had in a long time, better than from the store. A keeper for sure.
This recipe is wonderful! Easy and delicious, perfect for gift giving. I used red delicious appes and cut the sugar back to 2 cups and it was just sweet enough. Probably could cut it back a little more, but my family likes it sweet. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Man, this stuff is GOOOOOOD. I only used half the amount of sugar and used half white, half brown. I also omitted the cloves. I doubled the recipe and the results were so absolutely delicious. I used my immersion blender to smooth but you really didn't even need to. By far the best recipe that I've tried for apple butter!
REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR - Obviously, it depends on what type of apples you are using. If you are using tart Granny Smith's, you'll need to use the full amount. Sweet apples won't need as much.
I had 10 lbs of apples to use so I used 2 crock pots. I used 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 c apple juice, 1/2 tbsp cinnamon and 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice in each crock pot. I let it cook for 9 hours with the lid on then 4 hours with the lid off, I used my immersion blender to make it smooth. It made 21 cups in total. I think next time less time with the lid on and more with it off to thicken more.
This is very good. I didn't put in as much sugar as it called for and it was plenty sweet. So simple
Ok, this is going to be a long review. I grew up eating my MaMaw's apple butter. I loved that stuff. Then I bought some at the grocery store. Let me tell you, that was NOT apple butter. I resigned myself to the fact I would never have "real" apple butter again. Then I ran across this recipe! Thank you so much. I cooked mine over 24 hours to get the consistency I wanted. I did cut down on the sugar and increase the spices. I love this on hot Pillsbury frozen biscuits for a evening snack. Thanks for the post.
Amazing!!! I started around 9am...after cleaning, peeling, and cutting apples got then going in crock pot by 950...followed others suggestions and used 1/2c sugar and 3/4c brown sugar...used the ground cloves, cinnamon, and salt...added a bit more cinnamon and cloves. Let them go on high for about hour..then turned town to low..took lid off around 730pm and ran through my baby bullet because it was really lumpy...let go until about 830 then turned off...let cool then put in jars in fridge..just had a piece of toast and omg it tasted soo good...just like all the other apple butters I have had at restaurants etc. A bit thicker then I have seen but tastes soo yummy!
OH YUM!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I grew up in Lancaster Pa, so I was never far away from a yummy jar of Amish-made apple butter. But now I live in Australia and no one even knows what apple butter is. Although a great recipe, I did take on some of the advice left by other reviewers. I used 2 cups of brown sugar and added 1/4 tsp of Allspice. I too left it to cook overnight and then uncovered the next day. The only problem with this recipe is getting the appples peeled, cored, and chopped (a bit of a pain.) But I found a handy little gadget at a kitchen store that does all three things! Couldn't be easier. My 5 year old and I just made our 3rd batch. And while we want to share the goodness around to those who have never tried it, we also all like it too much to give it away!!
Very tasty. I used fresh picked Golden Delicious apples from a local apple orchard. Instead of using 4 C white sugar, I used 1 C white sugar and 1 C brown sugar. This was still quite sweet with the reduced sugar quantity. I slow cooked this for 16 hours lid on, 2 hours lid off. I recommend preserving this recipe, because you will want to enjoy it all year long!
This is delicious - very tempted to eat it right from the cooker with a spoon. I doubled the cinnamon and added two teaspoons of ground ginger. Used 24 small gala apples. Ended up cooking it for one hour without lid on high, then eight hours lid on on low, then two hours on high no lid. Used my immersion blender which I would think is very necessary if you want a smooth velvety texture.
WOW! Great! So easy and yummy. Beutiful in the jars such a pretty color. I used this recipe with peaches too adding some brandy also, WOW!
So good!! I had mine done in about 7 hours because I was really excited and couldn't wait the 11+ hours. lol I kept my crock pot on high for about 3 hours and then turned it to low for the remainder. I used a blend of Pink Lady and Gala apples so I cut the sugar back to 2 cups. I recommend tasting all along the way and adjusting the sugar and spices as needed. Amazing! Never would have guessed that it was so easy!
This was my first time making apple butter and this recipe was delicious!! I used one cup brown sugar and 3 cups white. I thought it was perfectly sweetened. I upped the spices slightly. I used 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. I like it spicy. I filled my 6 qt. Crock Pot to the brim with the peeled, sliced apples and then added the sugar and spices. After it cooked down a little I stirred it. Went to bed and in the morning took the lid off to cook down and stirred with a whisk. I wanted it a little chunky. I let it cook down about 4 hours then canned it in half pint jars. I filled each to within 1/4 inch from the top and processed for 25 minutes in a water bath. We loved it and will be making this every year!!
Reduced the sugar to two cups and it was still sweet, might be able to reduce it a bit more. We cooked it overnight and then on low covered for an extra couple hours. Cooked it about 2 hours at the end uncovered and it turned a wonderful rich caramel color and smelled wonderful. We used a hand blender to smooth out the chunks and it turned out to be the perfect consistency and color. Used whatever firm apples we had on hand. We canned and froze the batch, we had about 7 half pint jars from it. We will make this again.
To the delight of every grandkid and big kids, I have made this several times. Here it is the middle of May and youngest GK told me I was almost out of apple butter. I just started another batch using this recipe. The only thing I do differently is add a handful of the little red cinnamon candies as the apples cook. We love it on buttered toast, biscuits or with potato pancakes on special weekend mornings. It is utterly delicious and is served in my home year round. Thank you so much for an excellent recipe!!
This is a great recipe -- a really nice change from the usual strawberry/raspberry jam! It's the first time I've tasted apple butter and my husband, kids and I are hooked!! I filled the crock pot in the evening and filled my jars in the morning. Thanks, Terri, for this wonderful recipe -- it's a keeper!
This is a wonderful recipe - so easy and tastes fantastic. The only thing I did differently was to cook it a bit longer (was in slow cooker for 14 hours, then with lid cocked for another four) because I like the super concentrated, rich, dark brown color. I also don't like lumps, so I gave it a spin in the blender before cocking the lid to let it cook down. No changes to the recipe ingredients though - super fantastic stuff! I will definitely be adding this to my fall recipe collection and will make it time and time again. Thanks, Terri, for the wonderful recipe!
A GREAT and EASY way to use up some of the bumper crop of apples we got from our tree this year! I canned it in the very small jam jars and used it in baskets with fresh apples and home-made baked goods for holiday presents. Everyone loved it!
This recipe reminded me of my grandma's house when i was young. Absolutely delicious, and very simple.
This was a wonderful recipe. My husband loves Apple Butter but hasn't had any since his grandmother passed away. I saw this recipe and decided to try it.. He LOVED it. This is going to become a tradition in our home. Thanks for sharing a wonderfu recipe!
According to my husband and kids this was our best batch of apple butter ever. We used Gala apples (this time of year in PA they are at the end of their picking season and very juicy and sweet). Filled the crockpot to the top and based on previous reviews cut the sugar. We added 1 cup sugar, 3 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves and salt and 2 tsp vanilla. Cooked in the crockpot for about 9 hours and then placed in blender to puree. (only pureed half the batch since I like mine with more texture). I did follow canning directions for placing them in jars (boiled jars & lids - waited for the "pop") but the apple butter is so good I don't think we will need to worry about a shelf life - it will go to fast! Thanks for the recipe.
Wonderful. I started with about 6 pounds of macintosh and fuji. I cut the sugar to two cups and added another 1/4 tsp. of cloves. I canned half of it and then added a tsp of double strength vanilla to the rest before canning. It was really nice and softened the flavor a bit. Mine made 10 half pint jars and it was a fun first canning experience.
Delicious! So easy to make! I used a variety of apples since we had bushels of all different kinds from our apple picking trip. I used Rome, Jonathan, Macintosh, Granny Smith and Honey Crisp and it was wonderful. Definitely passing this receipe on to others =)
This was a fabulous recipe. I used 6 1/2lbs of apples-Rome, York, granny smith & fuji (all locally grown & fresh from an orchard in Virginia) I cut the sugar to 3 cups and used all splenda. I also used the suggestion of others and put the apples through the food processor after I cored them. Once I took the lid off it took about 5 hours to thicken up. It made 5 jelly jars worth and I canned them (boiling water bath for 10 mins.) I can't wait to make this again. I am going to do a double batch though - it's a long process for only 5 jars!
This spiced apple butter recipe is perfectly balanced and fantastic on roast pork. Coat the meat with the mixture for the last half hour of cooking. When I made this recipe I used the sweet Fuji apple and was able to cut down on the amount of sugar to just 3 cups. The colour is a beautiful golden brown colour and the aroma is pure heaven.
This is the best! It's even good if you end up cooking the apples 2 or 3 days because you don't have time to can right away! I generally only use 2 cups of sugar and double the cinnamon and cloves and also add allspice and nutmeg. Also, I put it in the blender just before I can it since it looks better in the jars.
I make apple butter in the crock pot and it isn't necessary to peel. I cut, core and quarter and that's all I need to do. Be careful with your sugar, it really depends on the sweetness of the apples you use. If you're using a sweet apple and you add too much sugar you are going to end up with too sweet Apple Butter. I run the mixture through my Ninja for less than a minute, then pour into hot jars and the canning process. Easy peasy!!!
I used 3 lbs of apples and 1 cup of sugar. Cored and sliced the apples, cooked them for 10 hrs covered and 2 hrs uncovered then ran them thru the mill(to remove the skins. The best I ever had, even better than the Amish make.
This was so easy, yet so difficult. Difficult in making sure I start this at a time where I can deal with it the rest of the day. Easy because it was super easy. Started it at 9 in the morning, and was able to jar it by 7:30 at night. I did modify the recipe slightly. Instead of the various spices, I cheated and just used about a tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie spice (key word is about; i just started sprinkling it all over the top), and I cut the sugar in half and used brown instead. I used all kinds of Apples: Mostly Granny Smith, but some Pink Lady and some Fuji as well. This gave a very interesting and VERY tasty blend. I will TOTALLY do this again next fall. We have a place called Apple Hill near the Sacramento area where we get nice, good apples. I will look forward to possibly making this a tradition!! UPDATE: Easy solution... Start this the night before. Let it cook overnight. 1. You don't have to worry about the timing as much, 2. It makes the whole house smell wonderful as you wake up in the morning.
I was kind of cautious at first if this recipe was going to be worth it after I added only a few ingredients. I have never made apple butter before, but this was excellent! 5 stars! My family wants me to make more of it. I think that for Thanksgiving and Christmas this would be the perfect gift! I'm going to the store today to get some mason jars and ribbon. :)
This recipe is wonderful! I did cut the suger to 3 cups instead of 4 cups. I'll never buy apple butter from the store again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This apple butter is super easy and absolutely wonderful! I did cut the sugar in half, but found the spice quantities to be just perfect. Thanks for a great recipe!
WOW! This recipe is fantastic! It's so easy. I make it before I go to bed and whisk it up in the morning. I have already made it five times and have plenty to give away for Christmas presents. Thanks!
This was the easiest recipe for apple butter that was also great in flavor. I cut back on the suger because it was a little to sweet for my taste but it is a keeper.
DELICIOUS! I had about 2 1/2 lbs. of apples that were starting to get soft spots so I was happy to find this recipe. I cut the recipe in half and it took about 7 hours to cook. I did the spoonful on a saucer test to tell when it was done. This tastes awesome when spread on cinnamon raisin toast. Thank you Terri for sharing your DELICIOUS recipe!
My family LOVED this! I used half the sugar and a hand mixer at the end. It was perfect!
Great apple butter. I probably should have cooked it for longer; I only cooked it for 8 hours. The recipients loved it. It was very sweet.
This is wonderful! I did not peel the apples, (didn't read the recipe right). When the cooking time was finished, I pureed it in a blender. You can't even tell there were peels on the apples, so I am going to do it the same way the next time. I will definitely be making this again! Will not buy storebought Apple Butter ever again!
So yummy! I used Mcintoshes and I cut the sugar in half but it was still a bit sweet for my liking. I'll probably just omit it altogether if I do this with Mcintosh apples again.
I grew up on apple butter. In fact the village I lived in hosted an Apple Butter Day every year and still does. Nothing beats homemade apple butter! This was my first time attempting to make my own apple butter and I kinda battled with it but it still came out good, though next time I'd make some modifications. I used Jonathan apples but probably would try a different kind next time. Like others, I cut down on the sugar and used only 3 cups. I also added allspice as some suggested but may have added too much because it was very spicy when it was done, will probably leave that out next time. I tried to cook my apples the 9-11 hours as stated but by the 8th hour, a lot of the liquid was gone so I had to stop. It was still very chunky so I threw it all in a blender and that helped to smooth it out. I got over the flavor, being a little too spicy, but as it sat in my fridge, it thickened up a lot and became almost too gummy. I ended up using most of it in an apple butter spice cake, which came out really nice. Will try again next Fall. It did make the house smell wonderful! :)
This was my first try at Apple Butter. I adjusted the spices a little. I reduced the cinnamon to 1.5 tsp and added 1/4 tsp of all spice. If you want to speed up the process, put the crock pot on high covered for 4 hours, uncover and cook 3 more hours. I used a immersion blender to smooth the butter.
I used Honey Crisp apples (very sweet) so I decreased the sugar. I used 3/4 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar. It was perfect!
This was excellent! I used up some old apples I had and boy was that a treat. My husband and I really liked the results of this recipe! Just a side note, I had some homemade applesauce in the freezer that we weren't eating, so I just added that to the recipe as well. It worked out great.
This is just a perfect recipe! We used some older soft apples that were too tart to eat, so everyone left them alone. The recipe was easy to make and the house smelled fabulous after cooking. We were eating spoonfuls out of the pan! I will make this often. Perfect topping for autumn cakes, pancakes, oatmeal and more. Yum!!
This is my second batch the first went quick! I would have given it five stars but decided on 4 due to a few inconsistencies in the recipe. #1.. prep time is longer than 30 minutes. I used a countertop apple peeler that moves quickly but dicing them takes time. The first tie I diced them rather finely but found it makes no difference. #2. Even with the fine dice a wisk did not create a smooth product. Use a immersion blender, works lie a dream. #3. Time after removing lid is more than an hour. Mine ran about 3 hours. I suppose this could vary due to how juicy your apples are. All things considered in will continue to use this recipe.
At first this came out as sort of a thick applesauce...So I used my emulsion blender and after that it thickened right up and became a thick, wonderful, gooey apple butter. I also added about 1 1/2 tbs all together of cinnamon because I love it so much and it was amazing. My only problem is that I used only 3 cups of sugar and it still came out a tad too sweet. Next time I will use Granny Smith apples (because of the tartness) or use less sugar. Lovely stuff though!
Never made apple butter before this recipe.. and it is soooo yummy.. and easy to make.. Makes the house smell delish!
This was the first time I had ever tried to make apple butter and it was soooo easy. It turned out great, even my mother in law raved. I cut the sugar down to 3 1/2 cups and added nutmeg. I will definately make this again and again....
Totally worth the wait, for sure. Plan on it taking much longer than suggested though, especially when it comes to reducing it at step 4. Mine took several hours to reduce (and my slow cooker boils even on low). It's ready when there is no visible liquid. I increased the spices by double and used only 1 cup of honey with sweet orchard run Gala apples. As the submitter suggests, the amount of sweetener used depends on the apples you use. My results were quite sweet but still pleasantly tangy.
I can not imagine making this as written and giving it 5 stars. The recipe calls for WAY TOO MUCH sugar. But like others have said, with a few tweeks this is a 5 star recipe! I used 7lbs of apples (cored and peeled) and placed them in the food processor to get them very finely chopped. Then I used 1 cup brown sugar and 1 1/3 cup white sugar. I also added an extra half tsp of cinnamon and 1tsp nutmeg. I was worried the entire time that the butter wouldn't setup, but finally after simmering with the lid off for 2.5 hours it did set up perfectly! The last hour I took a stick mixer to the butter to get out any remaining chunks and to get it nice and smooth. The total cook time was 16 hours but worth every minute of it!
Thought I should probably come back and rate this since I've been using it for a few years now. This is fabulous! I have an apple tree in my yard that always leaves me with more apples than I know what to do with and this recipe is the solution. I make it exactly as the recipe is written for most batches, just cut down the sugar in one batch for my in laws and either way it's delicious! I can it and enjoy homemade apple butter all year. Thanks for the great recipe!
Good! Fills a crock pot. Makes 4 pints, I used a food processor to smooth out. I used the full 4 cups of sugar , and Jonathan apples. I also canned the pints in the pressure cooker so that I could store on the shelf rather than in the freezer. Also i used a apple peeler, corer, slicer to prep apples, then just had to chop the slices into smaller bits, very easy!
This took longer than all day. Next time I will make it "all night" apple butter, starting it in the evening, then turning it down and going to bed. It should be ready to can when I get up! A friend of mine tried it this way and worked very well.
Delicious recipe!! Next time I'll cut sugar down even more to 1 and 1/2 cups. Amazing flavor though! A definite keeper. :)
Love Apple Butter-and this recipe was so easy and so delicious! My husband and I love it on toast and also on pancakes. I used 5.5 pounds of Granny Smiths and 3 1/2 cups of sugar. I got a little over 4 pints after 9 hrs. in slow cooker-one of those hours with the lid off-stirred frequently with a whisk-no lumps and nice and thick!!! Thanks for sharing!
