Tired of tasting the generic type of Apple Butter from the grocery or department stores but afraid of doing your homemade version it? Great news! You can now create your own personalized version of Apple Butter within a day, without the trepidation and mess of cooking procedure. Answer: The use of slow cooker or “crock pot.”
What’s more? There’s no need for you to peel and core those pounds of apples. All you need to do is to follow the necessary instructions for ingredient preparations and simple steps for the authentic recipe of Apple Butter.
First Step: Preparation of necessary ingredients, cooking tools and preservation materials.
Ingredients:
- 10 half pound apples*
- 4 cups of white sugar*
- 3 cups of apple cider
- 2 cups of powdered cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
Tools:
- Slow cooker
- Produce brush (for cleaning the apples)
- ladle
- blender
- Spatula
- bowls
Preservation materials:
- Sterilized Jars/ containers will do
It is highly recommended for you to use the organic ones. But organic or not, be sure to carefully wash those apples using a produce brush and get rid of the waxy feeling. After washing, cut them into quarters.
For the sugar, when you want to have a little twist of sugary taste, try brown or dark brown sugar instead of the refined white. You’ll be amazed on the effects of their difference in your taste buds. But if you’re not a great fan of sugars, try substitutes like Splenda or Stevia.
Second Step: Actual cooking procedures in easy steps.
- Put the quartered apples into the crock pot or slow cooker. Set the crock pot on medium heat to avoid burning the apples. (However, crock pots differ from each other so the best tip is to know its setting.) Pour in the apple cider and cook them until the apples are all tender. You can play on the heat: 2 hours high and 12 hours low. Check it from time to time. You can predict if it is all ready when the substance is juicy.
- Add sugar and leave it be for the remaining few hours. (Note: You can add your personal touch during the first three hours of cooking. You might want to add some fruity touches, some kinds of syrup or spices complementing the apple flavor.)
- Use your blender. Ladle some apple butter into it, cautiously filling it halfway. Blend until the substance is smooth. Be sure to let the steam get out from time to time. Continue until all have been blended. Put the finished concoction into bowl/s.
- Set it back into the crock pot and slow cook. Add the spices: cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Let the mixture cool before putting it inside jars or sterilized containers. It is highly recommended to use sterilized jars or containers to lessen the risk of contamination. This also helps a lot in having long preservation period. Finished products can be given as gifts for friends and neighbors. Who knows? You might even start a home-based business with this easy step recipe.
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How to make apple butter
