Earlier I turned a pile of pink lady apples into sauce. Half the sauce got canned and the other half went into the crock pot. View post here on making applesauce.
The directions I originally got had the whole process taking less than 12 hours. My first attempt took over a day. They had recommended going low and being really careful not to burn the apple butter. My crock pot was obtained well used (thanks mom!) at a garage sale when I got my first apartment. It is old, at least one decade, and maybe multiple. At any rate, it appears to run at a lower temp than the Pick Your Own directions would indicate. Your mileage may vary.
Directions:
- Fill crock pot 2/3 full with applesauce, add 1-2 cups sugar and cinnamon to taste.
- Add remaining applesauce till crock is full.
- Set crock pot to High with lid propped up to let moisture out, stir occasionally.
- If you leave the house or go to bed, set to Low with lid still propped.
- Sauce will darken and reduce in volume. Keep going till the desired consistency is achieved.
My crock pot took about 9 hours on high through the day, and then another 8 or so on low over night. In the morning it looked pretty done. I left it on low till I could eat breakfast and get around to canning. It seems pretty forgiving on time, so don’t stress.
The sugar can be varied or removed all together if you are looking for a sweeter or healthier spread. Cinnamon is a personal preference, but I used probably 2 tablespoons.
This batch yielded 9 half pint jars of apple butter. Minus the numerous sample scoops I took for quality control… and breakfast. The sound of jars sealing once out of the bath is a sound of pure joy! Happy little pops as the seal comes down.
-Chase
Kilted Craft Works 