This is an easy slow cooker apple butter or crockpot apple butter recipe plus canning instructions. Use these simple apple butter canning steps to enjoy this sweet treat anytime and other apple butter uses.
What’s better on a gorgeous sunshiny morning than some Homemade Apple Butter. This is so easy and it’s nothing like the store-bought apple butter. This Crockpot Apple Butter is made with fresh apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and only enough brown sugar to bring out the sweetness of the apples. And canning apple butter is a great way to always have a few jars in your pantry.
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Slow cooker apple butter is so easy that you may not believe it. The hardest part is chopping apples, we promise. So if you can peel and chop fresh apples then a crockpot apple butter batch can be in your refrigerator or pantry by this afternoon. And we will also explain easy apple butter recipe canning instructions for you can preserve your apple butter.
How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter:
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe
Ingredients needed for this Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe:
Start your slow cooker apple sauce by peeling, coring and chopping the apples into bite-size pieces. There is no need to treat the apples so they will not brown. We will be putting them into the crockpot immediately.
Place the chopped apples in a slow cooker, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Give the apples and spices a good stir, thoroughly mixing them. Do NOT add any liquids, these apples will make their own juices. If any liquid is added, you will have runny apple butter. Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or until the apples are thoroughly cooked and tender.
Use an immersible blender and puree the cooked apples and spices until well blended. A regular blender or food processor could also be used. It’s just easier to use the immersible blender since the apple mixture does not need to be removed to puree it.
Store your apple butter in jars and it can be placed in the refrigerator for about a week. And if it will not be consumed within the week then follow our apple butter recipe canning instructions below.
Canning apple butter:
This recipe will make 4 half pint mason jars
Fill a home canner half-way with water. You could also use a large saucepot or stockpot with a cake rack placed on the bottom to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Place 4 half-pint empty jars, lids, and rings in the water, bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the jars with a jar lifter one at a time and fill. Use this green handy little magnet Lid Lifter to remove the lids and rings and it is a must-have in our house. It grabs the metal lids and rings to make it so much easier when we are canning apple butter or anything else.
Spoon the apple butter into the hot half-pint canning jars leaving a quarter inch headspace. Clean the rims and place lids on the jars.
Place the filled jars back into the water bath. The water should come up to within 1-2 inches of the top of the jar and the jars should not be crowded. Bring temperature to a rolling boil and boil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the jars using a Jar Lifter and set on a clean dry towel.
Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours. After 12-24 hours check to make sure they have sealed by touching the center, it should not move up and down.
Apple Butter uses:
- Spread on toasted bread
- On Southern biscuits
- Bagel
- Fold and mash into baked sweet potatoes
- On pork loin or pork chops
- Rolled into heated tortillas
- on pancakes or waffles
- in a cake
If you have enjoyed this recipe for crockpot apple butter and canning apple butter then try these:
Homemade Apple Butter
An easy slow cooker apple butter or crockpot apple butter recipe and canning instructions. Apple butter canning steps plus suggestions for apple butter uses
Prep Time15 mins
Slow Cooker Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 64 1 TBSP
Calories: 25kcal
Equipment
- canner
Ingredients
- 8 apples peeled and diced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove from slow cooker and puree in a food processor or use an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Spoon in half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, remove any air bubbles, wipe the rims of the jars and place lids on.
Canning and Water Bath Instructions:
- Fill a home canner half-way with water. You could also use a large saucepot or stockpot with a cake rack placed on the bottom to keep the jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Place empty jars, lids, and rings in the water, bring water to a simmer over medium heat.
- Remove the empty jars one at a time using a jar lifter and fill with the apple butter leaving 1/4 headspace. Carefully remove any bubbles. (I use a wooden or porcelain chopstick, do not use metal). Remove the lids and rings from the boiling water with a magnetic lid-lifter. Place lids and rings on jars.
- Place filled jars back into the water bath using the jar lifter. The water should come up to within 1-2 inches of the top of the jar and the jars should not be crowded.
- Bring temperature to a rolling boil and boil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove and set on a clean dry towel. Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- After 12-24 hours check to make sure they have sealed by touching the center, it should not move up and down.
Notes
Apple Butter can be placed in the refrigerator if it is to be consumed within a week, otherwise, it needs to be canned.
There are about 16 1 Tablespoon servings in each of the 4 half-pints
Nutrition
Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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I wonder … can this be frozen or will it be a problem when "defrosted"
I have never frozen it but if might be worth a try to just freeze a tablespoon of it and experiment!! I bet it would work:)
Yum! Sounds delicious!
I've never made apple butter at home, but you make it look so simple, now I can't wait to try!
This recipe is wonderful! You're right, it would go great with some hoe cakes! Pinned!
Mmmm, this sounds delicious! I think it would be so fun to go pick your own apples at an orchard and then make this! Thanks for sharing!
I made apple butter and love it… although I never use a water bath when I can… just very hot jars, hot lids and what ever I am can boiling…. They always seal.
Do you know how long the shelf life is for this after the jars are canned?
Thanks for sharing this, I pinned it!
Yay for Fall-type recipes!! 🙂 Can't wait to try this!!
Love this! I am making apple butter this week!
I know what I'll be using my apples for this year! Thanks for the recipe!
Love apple butter–yum!
Just looking at this has me totally ready for fall! Thanks so much for sharing this at Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Evelyn! I'll be featuring your post at our next party on Sunday night!