SWEET SPICED APPLE BUTTER

Sweet Spiced Apple Butter image

A delicious and easy Crock Pot apple butter recipe with a flavor profile reminiscent of the mulled drinks we go crazy for in the fall.

Provided by Kare for Kitchen Treaty

Time 38m

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

4 pounds apples (I use a variety of apples and like to keep them on the sweet side, like Gala, McIntosh and Braeburn, quartered)
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 5- inch cinnamon stick
2 cups sugar (to taste)
Food mill or sieve
Crock Pot/slow cooker

Steps:

Wash and quarter the apples.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the orange juice, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon stick.
Add the apples, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, until apples are softened all the way through.
Remove mixture from heat, and let it cool for a bit so you don't burn yourself when processing. Process the mixture through your food mill, or push it through the sieve, which will leave the leftover peels, seeds, and spices behind.
Pour the apple mixture into your Crock Pot. Prop the lid so that the steam can escape - this is important, because the apple butter needs to cook down. You can use knives, chopsticks, what have you to prop the lid.
[url href="http://www.kitchentreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/prop-open-the-lid-apple-butter.jpg"][img src="http://www.kitchentreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/prop-open-the-lid-apple-butter.jpg" alt="Sweet Spiced Crock Pot Apple Butter | Kitchen Treaty" width="630" height="420" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9044"][/url]
Heat on high for an hour, then reduce the heat to low, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally (but it shouldn't be the end of the world if you don't, unless your Crock Pot runs really hot - you just don't want it to burn on the bottom).
The Apple Butter will cook down to a nice, smooth consistency and take on a delicious brown color.
[url href="http://www.kitchentreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/crock-pot-apple-butter-2.jpg"][img src="http://www.kitchentreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/crock-pot-apple-butter-2.jpg" alt="Sweet Spiced Crock Pot Apple Butter | Kitchen Treaty" width="630" height="420" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9043"][/url]
Stir in sugar, and cook on low for another 1/2 hour or so. You may need a little more or a little less depending on how sweet your apples are.
Pour it into jars and enjoy! If you're canning, leave 1/4 inch head space and process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (depending on altitude) (here are [url href="http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/348/348-594/348-594.html" target="_blank"]thorough canning instructions here[/url] from the Virginia Cooperative Extension).