Homemade Apple Butter
So basically, my crock pot hates me.
It’s supposed to be one of the easiest appliances to use, right? Everytime I’ve tried to something has gone wrong. Things are either over cooked or undercooked, and definitely not very tasty. I decided I needed to find a recipe that couldn’t possibly fail. When I realized I had 5 pounds of apples, I had my answer.
I found a recipe for crock pot apple butter, and it seemed super easy. Peel and chop the apples, add sugar and spices, let cook overnight. I could do that. My crock pot could do that.
It turns out peeling and chopping 5 1/2 pounds of apples is kind of a pain in the a…pple. Your hands get all slippery and tired, and you get sticky apple juice everywhere. Then the apples didn’t fit into my crockpot, so I had to puree them all in order to make the most of the space I had. Finally I got everything in the crock pot and turned it on. The recipe said the whole thing would take less than 12 hours. Great!
12 hours later? Not even close to done.
I ended up cooking this apple butter for a full 24 hours. Between prepping, cooking, and canning, the whole project took 26 hours! 26! A lot of that was downtime, but still. My crock pot is cursed.
It was so worth it though. It’s dark, sweet, tangy, silky, and spicy. It is SO GOOD on toast with a little vegan margarine, you have no idea. It’s like concentrated apple pie. I wish you could taste it. Well, actually, you might be able to!
Since I have a lot of this stuff, and it’s such a b…anana to make, I’m going to give away three jars to VeganYumYum readers. Yay!
Win Homemade Organic Apple Butter!
Contest is closed! Stay tuned for the winners!
1) Comment!
2) Use a valid email address! (Will not be published!)
3) Win apple butter!
In one week (November 11th at 5 PM), I’ll use a random number generator to pick three numbers, corresponding to the comments here. Those people win a 1/2 pint jar of organic apple butter, complete with fun spreader knife and recipe card. I’ll email you to tell you you’ve won: just reply with a mailing address.
Some general rules: If you don’t leave a valid email address with your comment, I’ll pick another person. If I don’t hear back from you with your mailing address, I’ll pick another person. I’ll ship overseas, so don’t worry, everyone can play!
For those of you who don’t win, here’s the recipe. I used this recipe found I online.
Crock Pot Apple Butter
Makes 4 Pints
5 1/2 lbs Apples, peeled and finely chopped (as many different kinds as you can!)
4 Cups Sugar
2-3 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Sprinkle Nutmeg
Peel and core the apples. Slice finely or puree in a food processor. Add apples and remaining ingredients to your crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 8-10 hours. Remove lid (or crack it open a bit) and cook on high until a wooden spoon stands upright in it. The apple butter will have reduced by about half to get to this point. Blend if desired.
Fill sterilized jars with simmering apple butter and process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Remove jars and let sit, undisturbed, overnight. Test the seals and refrigerate any jars that have not sealed completely. Fully sealed jars will keep for 18-24 months unopened. Once opened, the apple butter will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator, or indefinitely in the freezer.
Good luck!
Hm.. yummy!!
I wonder how creative you are…!!
A thousand smiles from Indonesia
LOVE your blog and vegan yumminess! My kids are begging me to make this already, but I don’t have a crockpot! Fingers crossed to taste some real Lolo food!
I ve never heard of apple butter. I would loooove try. Put me in, please :-)
Looks delicious!
Haha, wow you have a lot of fans!!
This sounds delicious- I love apple butter but I have never even thought of making my own, hmmmm… I sure would love to try some of yours :)
I love your website and I love apples!
Wow, 500 comments in two days! Your blog is wonderful… sadly I live in residence, with very infrequent access to a kitchen, but I have you bookmarked and keep checking back for recipes every few days! :-)
Rebekah
o.my.god
apple butter sounds so delicious!
Yum applebutter!
I get so many great ideas from your website.
And did I mention….yum applebutter!
looks soooo delicious!
After 26 hours of grueling apple butter making, isnt it difficult to ship it off to a lucky few of your adoring readers? Dang.
Much love. I’m gonna whip some up after exams!
This is my dream because I don’t have a crock pot!
Oh my, the boyfriend is gonna love this :-D What size slow cooker did you use?
This looks so yummy!
hi! i have been enjoying your beautiful blog for months now – thank you so much for your hard work! i absolutely love seeing your lovely photos and trying out your delicious recipes! crossing my fingers that i’ll get some apple butter!! :)
oh my goodness! how many people!! but I can imagine why… your blog is favoulous!!, awesome.
Keep on your marvellous job!.. and of course, I’ll try your apple butter, looks great ;)
why not join the party?
thank you for all your wonderful recipes. they are indeed the inspiration.
I was looking for an apple butter recipe, and here you come up with one! Since I don’t own a crock pot, I’ll keep looking for one that suits me. Lovely photos, and very generous of you to giveaway some jars. :)
mmmmapple butter!
My mom used to make the most delicious apple butter! To ease the peeling/coring work, she used an apple peeler/corer like this one: http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=5827
If you make a lot of applesauce, apple butter, and apple pies, it’s worth its weight in apples!
You got me to de-lurk with this giveaway. Thanks for the lovely blog.
Great job!
Awesome blog and the recipe sounds tasty. I can’t wait to try it out!
I’m glad I’m not the only one with a possessed crock pot! Tasty looking apple butter though!
The apple butter looks delicious and winning would be great as I am sans crock pot. Every recipe of yours that I’ve tried has been amazing (and amazed the non-vegans around me). Thank you for all that you do!
Thanks for your inspiring recipes and amazing photos! I don’t know which is better.
Sweet! I suppose if I don’t win I’ll just have to make some myself, apple butter is one of those foods you forget how much you love
Glad to know I am not the only person who is vexed by the crock pot.
Congratulations on a very interesting blog – oh and I would love to win some apple butter
put me in the running for some apple butter please?
I just found your blog – YUM-Apple Butter! This recipe sounds heavenly and what a great idea for Holiday gifts! I will definitely try this one! Thanks for sharing!
hope to see your apple butter and a cookbook soon!
26 hours? wow you are determined!
free apple butter, please!
it looks incredible!
That sounds scrumptious. I love reading your journal and looking at the wonderful pictures of your delicious recipes.
This sounds amazing.
I wanna have me some yummy apple butter. Love everything you do, Lolo!
My hometown always has an apple butter festival and I couldn’t make it these year so I’ve been apple butter-less all fall!
Oooooh! My crockpot is semi-cursed, so I completely empathize! Peace!
Oooh! I made apple butter for Christmas gifts last year. I have one of those handy dandy corer/peeler/slicer/ doohickeys that made it so much easier. It was the yummiest thing I’ve made in my crockpot. Sorry it was so tough for you!
Me!!!!
i want your apple butter!
I’ve never had apple butter before, but I hope I get to try it!
Apple butter? Oh my goodness. Sounds delicious. :)
sorry to hear about your crock pot :( but i’m sure it’s delicious if YOU made it!
I have to be honest and say that I have admired this blog for months now, having sampled many of the recipes with great success every time!
I never usually like to comment on blogs – I don’t really know why. I guess I feel a shy or silly (which really is rather silly) aha. However, when the chance came up to actually sample one of your very own gourmet creations – well I simply could pass up the oppitunity!
This looks amazing and seeing as I an appleholic (more or less) – buying at least 20 each week – it’d be a new way of enjoying sucha delicious fruit!
looks delicious! thanks for sharing :)
My sister taught her green parrot, Tintin , to say veganyumyum.Ahhaha.We love your blog here in Texas.
Hi I’m only eleven and I’m in G.T. and especially I love to cook. I love animals and have a few of my own. I hope I get the apple butter so I could eat some but also it would be wonderful to cook with. It would add more fun to have at our vegan Thanks Giving celebration. So please pick me so I can find some interesting recipes to use it in and continue my cooking.
I definitely have to try this!
This looks fantastic! I love apple butter!
Oh my gosh! You are so nice!
Thanks!!!