Tackle It Tuesday: What To Do With All Of These Apples?!?

Apple Butter. Gotta love the stuff. For me, the taste on a piece of light toast slathered first in real butter, then in apple butter, brings back a ton of childhood memories. As a child (and probably as an adult too, but I know better now), I could've eaten an entire loaf of bread, stick of butter and jar of apple butter...in one sitting. What a treat - one of my favorites. I didn't get it much, but when I did, it was like a little taste of heaven.

This past week, we took a trip to a local orchard for some raspberry and apple picking. After coming home with a half of a bushel of Stayman apples, I decided that we needed to enjoy them all winter long. What better way than this!

If you have some apples that need to be used up, go ahead and give it a try! It's really easy with barely any effort - especially with the crock pot method. I'll share my recipe with you!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

• 10 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced (chipped) - or enough sliced up apples to fill and mound a crock pot while still fitting the lid on top
• 4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. apple juice (I used cider)
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. ground clove
• 1 t. ground allspice
• pinch of salt if you want

Mix everything but the apples in the crock pot. Add apples and mix to coat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Good to prepare before bed and let cook overnight. (I started mine on high to get going and then turned it down to low- it cooked for more like 12 hours - 6pm to 6am.) Remove crock pot lid and stir (apples will start falling apart - give a stir every now and then to help break them up.) Continue cooking, uncovered, for 4-5 more hours (depending on how much liquid is left) until most of the liquid is gone and butter has cooked down quite a bit. It will be very dark, thick and goopy. (mmmm) Pour into jars and refrigerate unless canning properly. My first batch made about 6 8oz. jars. My second batch made 7.

If canning, sterilize jars and seals. Pour hot apple butter into hot jars. Place on the seal & ring. Boil in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (I put a metal steamer in the bottom of a large dutch kettle and set the jars on that - works fine.) Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1" of water over their tops. Remove. Let cool until seal pops in.

Hope you enjoy your little taste of fall.

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