Apple Butter Anyone?

I've been threatening to do it for years. Every Fall I say this is the year I go apple picking and make apple butter. I think I started this little charade seven years ago. Well 2010 made me a honest woman. I made apple butter - mounds of it - towers of it.

There's no quick way of doing this. No short cuts. It takes a long time and a lot of patience. This is probably why it took me so long to actually getting around to it. However, when it's 10-something at night and you're proudly looking at a dining table filled with little jars of homemade apple butter, it's very much worth it.

I made three kinds of apple butter two ways. First, a classic cinnamon the classic way, and then a brandy flavored and a more savory rosemary flavored both in the slow cooker. Below are the various methods, recipes, and canning process.

Stove top method:
Cook apples in enough liquid to cover.
Boil until very soft.
Drain apples, return to pot.
Blend with an immersion blender (or press through sieve)
Add sugars, spices, and any flavorings.
Cook down over low heat until desired thickness, stirring often.
Can.

Slow cooker method:
Cook apples with sugars, flavorings, and liquid together on low for 6-7 hours.
Depending on the kind of apples used, you might have to drain off excess liquid.
Blend with immersion blender.
If you want or need to cook it down further, do so on high, with the cover off, stirring often.
Can.

Canning process
Boil large pot of water.
Unscrew the lids and boil with the jars for ten minutes. Remove. Be sure not to touch the insides of the jars or lids with your bare hands - you can undo the sterilizing process that way.
Set aside until ready to fill and can.
Once filled and covers are screwed on, boil again for 10 minutes making sure there is at least 1" of water covering the jars.
Remove from water and let sit. If within 24 hours the jars don't seal, (meaning they don't "pop" and the button doesn't depresses), then the canning process did not work and they need to be refrigerated instead.


Brandy Apple Butter 
(slow cooker method)
3 cups cored, peeled, and sliced apples (this will be anywhere between 4-5lbs whole apples)
3/4 cups brandy
1 tbs vanilla
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (up to 1 1/2 depending on apple variety/sweetness)
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
healthy pinch of salt

-Cook everything together on low for 6-7 hours.
-Drain if necessary. Blend with immersion blender.
-If needed, cook on high, uncovered to desired thickness.
-Can.
-Makes approximately ten 4 oz. jars or eight 6 oz. jars


Rosemary Apple Butter
(slow cooker method)
3 lbs cored, peeled, and sliced apples
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
Healthy pinch of salt

-Cook everything together on low for 6-7 hours.
-Drain if necessary. Blend with immersion blender.
-If needed, cook on high, uncovered to desired thickness.
-Can.
-Makes approximately ten 4 oz. jars or eight 6 oz. jars


Cinnamon Apple Butter
(stove-top method)
4 lbs cored, peeled, and slices apples (about 5-6 lbs whole apples)
1/2-1 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar (up to 1 1/2 depending on apple variety/sweetness)
1 1/2 tbs+ cinnamon
1 tbs+ ground ginger
1 tbs vanilla
Healthy pinch of salt

-Boil apples in lemon juice and enough water to cover in large heavy bottom pot until very soft.
-Drain off water and using immersion blender, blend in pot until smooth.
-Add sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
-Cook until sugar has dissolved. Taste. You might want to add more spices or sugar at this point depending on the kind of apples used.
-If still not the consistency you want, let simmer on low heat, stirring often until desired thickness.
-Can.
-Makes approximately ten 4 oz. jars or eight 6 oz. jars