It’s finally here! Apple Butter Season!🍎
The apple trees at ASW homestead haven’t produced a harvest yet. We are hoping for our first apple harvest next season! But, the apples at other orchards are producing beautifully this year and there are some great deals in the grocery stores this time of year as well.
I found these Paula Red apples for $1 per pound. Paula Red apples become very soft when cooked making them perfect for applesauce or apple butter but not that great for pies. I’m using 10 pounds to make a batch of Kettle Style Apple Butter. I have been making this apple butter for the past 15 years and is a family favorite.
First, I peel and core the apples using a spiral peeler. My grandpa always used this type of peeler for big baking projects but whipped out his pocket knife for cutting up an apple for a snack 😊 Anyway, fill up the slow cooker as this is more of a method than an exact recipe.
The apples will cook on low overnight, about 8 hours. I put our slow cooker on the screened back porch so we don’t heat up the house. It also keeps the cooking smells outside.
The next morning, I add the following
Apple Butter Ingredients:
3 cups of Sugar
2 teaspoons of Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Cloves
Stir the ingredients into the apples.
Cook on low during the day, about 8 hours. After cooking, I use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
The butter tastes like old fashioned apple butter that was cooked in a cooper kettle.
This apple butter will last a few weeks in the refrigerator and tastes absolutely delicious on homemade biscuits and pancakes! The butter can also be frozen to be used later on in the winter.
However, I choose to can my apple butter to make it shelf stable. If you don’t know how to can I recommend Water Bath Canning 101 or for a more in-depth understanding and great recipes the Ball Book is invaluable.
Check out our applesauce and apple crisp recipes as well!
I hope you enjoy this apple season as much as we do! 🍎
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