Crockpot Apple Butter

Crockpot Apple Butter

Adapted from Shirley's Apple Butter

Page 18 Fix It and Forget It

Dawn Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good

4 quarts finely chopped tart apples

2 3/4 cups sugar

2 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

First place apples into crockpot.

Combine spices and sugar and pour over the apples. Stir well.

Place lid on crockpot and turn to High for 3 hours.

Make sure you stir the apples every hour.

After 3 hours, turn heat down to low and cook for 10-12 hours more.

Stir occasionally during this time with a wire whisk. The whisk allows you to break up the apple pieces into a sauce.

Apple butter will become thick and dark as it cooks.

You can freeze or can to preserve.

To can, simply ladle hot apple butter into sterilized canning jars. Screw lids on to seal. Tip: If your jars are clean and DRY, you can pour hot applebutter directly into the jars. If your jars are wet - they may burst or crack.

Why Apple Butter?

     Recently, I read a post by a friend of mine who grew up in Virginia.  She had the opportunity to go to Virginia for her family's special time of Apple Butter making.  As I read her blog post and saw the pictures, it reminded me of our family's special times of getting together to husk corn, cut it off the cob, and freeze for later.  I really enjoyed those times when I was a kid. It was special to be together and work together. 

     Unfortunately, those times are becoming a lost "art" for many. As I have been thinking about ideas for my blog, I came across a letter written by my Grandma Weaver.  She was telling us about the days when she was little. 

     In the letter she wrote, "We would make our own apple butter in a large copper kettle.  We put it in gallon crocks and tied wax paper around the top.  The neighbors got together and snitzed (cut up) the apples the night before.  They would help us, and later, we would go to their place and help them. We sang, and Ivan played the mouth organ.  It was a reason to get together and fellowship."

I had no idea how to make apple butter! I was just amazed at Parla's blog post!
Some day I would love to be a part of an applebutter making day!

As I shared this with my sister Wanda, she said, "Oh, I just made some in my crockpot!"    I never knew you could do that!!

So, even though times are changing we can still enjoy this delicious spread on our bread!  I haven't tasted apple butter in years!  I think I'm going to the store to buy some apples!!

If you live in a place where apples are plentiful and you pick them from the trees, don't take them for granted!

Hey, at least I can go buy a bag at Sobeys!