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Apple Butter: How to make apple butter, easily!

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Making and canning your own apple butter is easy now with a crockpots or slow cookers came along! And oddly, many other recipes on websites like "SimplyRecipes" and "Allrecipes.com" still call for standing over a hot stove, stirring for hours.  I suppose that's fine if you're Amish, or have too much time on your hands, but my approach produces the best apple butter you'ever had, with almost no work.  And you can make it with little or no added sugar..

There's no risk of burning it and ruining a whole batch. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. The apple butter will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store. You can make with sugar, with no sugar and no sweetener, or with another sweetener (all described below)

Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years(really indefinitely). It improve in storage, which is counter-intuitive; perhaps the spices mature, like a wine? It requires no special attention. A side benefit is that your house will smell wonderful while it is cooking - much better than potpourri!  You can also skip the last canning steps, and just store it in your refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 months or freezer (indefinitely).

And be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page to see many suggestions for how to use and eat your  apple butter!

Directions for Making Apple Butter

Yields about 10 pints

Ingredients and Equipment

• 9 quarts of Applesauce, fresh or canned (See step 1)
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 2 to 4 cups sugar  or an equivalent amount of sweetness to taste, from honey or frozen concentrated apple or white grape juice. Sugar is optional - some people find it sweet enough for their taste without adding any sweetener.  See this page for the sugarless or Stevia-sweetened (opr even other sweeteners) recipe
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
• Lid lifter (I like the lid rack that holds 12 lids or you can pull them out one at a time with the lid-lifter that has a magnet from the almost-boiling water where you sanitize them. ($4 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)
• Jar funnel ($5 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page)
• 1 Crock pot (slow cooker) 6 quart size (if your crockpot is smaller, just reduce the ingredients proportionately)
• Large spoons and ladles,
• 1 Water Bath Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars of apple butter after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.))
• Canning jars (often called Ball jars, Mason jars or Kerr jars) (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - now about $12 per dozen quart jars (up 50% in 2 years!) including the lids and rings)

Apple Butter Recipe and Directions

Step 1 - Make unsweetened applesauce!

That's right, apple butter starts with applesauce!  You can use store bought applesauce, but the apple butter won't taste nearly as good.  It's better with your own applesauce (either previously canned or fresh made).  So if you haven't made some applesauce yet start here with how to make applesauce.  Otherwise continue to step 2.

The kicker is, you need about twice as much apple sauce as the amount of apple butter you want to make.  It cooks down to one-half the starting volume.

I simply use some of the applesauce I make when I do my annual applesauce making session. Instead of canning the last couple of batches, I fill the crook put and store some in the fridge.

Step 2 - Fill the crock pot

Fill the crock pot to within an inch of full with applesauce, mine takes about 5.5 quarts. You will add the remaining applesauce later, in step 5. Now, you CAN do this using a regular large pot on very low heat on the stove, but the crockpot works much better, because its heat is very low. I've never had a batch burn in the crockpot.

Step 3 -Add the spices

Add:

• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• Optional: 2 cups sugar (the other 2 cups are used in step 4)

Sugar is optional - some people find the apple butter is sweet enough for their taste without adding any sweetener.. I've stopped adding sugar, and maybe add a little Stevia; and people rave about my apple butter.   Just taste and see if you like it without sugar first. In place of sugar, you can use an equivalent amount Truvia (Stevia that measures like sugar) or Splenda (sucralose) OR 1 twelve ounce can of frozen concentrated fruit juice (preferably a neutral juice, like white grape or apple).  You could use honey or agave, also. The sweetener is present ONLY for your taste, not as a preservative, so you can use anything that is heat-stable, in quantities that suit your own tastes.

 You can skip the sweeteners entirely, too; but it loses some of the richness of flavor , in my opinion. 95% of folks seem to like using a total of 2 to 4 cups of sugar.  Some folks prefer 3 cups of honey or agave instead, and diabetics obviously like Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you will need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, .

Step 4 - Cook down the Applesauce into Apple butter

Set the crock pot on low or medium heat.  I would recommend starting with low heat because you do not want to risk burning the apple butter (you can't get the burned taste out). If, after 8 hours or so , the applesuace / apple butter has not cooked down visibly, then step up the heat to the next setting. Every crockpot is different, so you just going to get to know which setting works best on your crock pot.

Cover it loosely or use a large pot splatter-guard. It will spatter as it boils slowly, so I also cover nearby surfaces with towels.  You don't want to seal it tightly because you want the steam to escape so it can reduce in volume and thicken. A visitor suggests, take a couple of butter knives, and lay them across the top of the crock pot. They are parallel and located about 2/3 of the way out from the center. Then put the lid on these supports, leaving it "covering" the pot and keeping the splatters under control, but, leaving a good gap for steam to escape.  I just made a batch and tried this approach, but I used a pair of wooden chopsticks or bamboo kebab skewers - they worked great!

Leave it to cook for 6 - 18 hours.   How long depends on the size and power of your crockpot, and how thick you like it, If you want to stir it occasionally, that's fine but not necessary.  I start mine around 8 pm on high for 1 hour, then on medium until I am ready for bed around midnight, then leave it on low overnight.

But do be careful: if your crockpot does not heat evenly, and has hot spots; you can get localized burning.  So once in a while, use a rubber or silicon spatula to scrape the sides and look for any burned apple butter.  If it does burn: pour the apple butter out of the crockpot into a bowl. The burned apple butter will cling to the crockpot.  Clean the crockpot, discard the burned bits and pour the unburned apple butter back in!

Step 5 - Add the remaining applesauce

It should reduce in volume by about half overnight. As it cooks down (the next morning), add the remaining applesauce (about 2 or 3 quarts) and 2 more cups of sugar (if desired!). Then let it cook a couple of hours more to mix the flavors.

Step 6 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle, the water bath processing will sanitize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sanitize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot apple butter.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 10 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Step 7 - Blend the apple butter (optional)

You want a smooth, creamy texture, right? The easiest way is to use a hand-held drink blender. It does a great job of making it smooth.  It takes baout 10 minutes. You can also put it into a regular blender, but if you are going to do that, you might want to blend the apple sauce before you put it in the crock pot (it will be much thicker afterwards and won't move in a regular blender). Another visitor says running it through a food mill with a fine screen or through a sieve works, too.

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Tips:

• Too thick?  if the apple butter cooks down too much or is too thick for your liking, just add a little bit of apple juice and blend it in.
• Not thick enough? Just let it cook some more, with the lid off so the steam can escape!

 

Step 8 - Fill and seal the jars

If the crockpot isn't keeping the apple butter boiling hot, you will need to briefly return the butter to the stove to get it hotter.  It varies from crockpot to crockpot.  I find that if I set my crockpot on high for the 15 minutes before I fill the jars and stir frequently, it gets it boiling.

Fill the jars to within 1/4-inch of the top, wipe any spilled apple butter of the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. 

Step 9 - Process the jars

Process means put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water and boiling. if you are at sea level (up to 1,000 ft) boil pint jars for 5 minutes and quart jars for 10 min. If you are at an altitude of 1,000 feet or more, see the chart below. Even though these times are right from the USDA, I usually tend to err on the side of safety and let mine go for 15 minutes; there's no harm in going longer, and I have never (in 40 years) had a jar of apple butter spoil or taste bad.

Step 10 - Done

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight)  You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

 

 

 

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs 
           to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter
           - to remove lids from the pot 
           of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lids
          - disposable - you may only 
          use them once
4. Ring 
         - holds the lids on the jar until after
         the jars cool - then you remove them, save them and reuse them
5. Canning Jar funnel
         - to fill the jars

Commonly Asked Apple Butter Canning Questions (FAQs)

Q. I am planning on canning apple butter soon, and want to make apple sauce first. Can i make apple sauce, cool it and then make the apple butter in the slow cooker the next day. As long as I cool it and refrigerate it all will be good right?

A. Yes, absolutely.  I often do that. You identified they keys: store it in the fridge until you are ready, then the slow-cooker, and when you are ready to can it, either bring the crockpot up to high to get the apple butter boiling hot or heat it further on the stove, then put in the jars, seal and process

Q. I was wondering if you can freeze apple butter and if so how do i do it? I am making apple butter in crock pot. I visit your website often and it is very helpful!

A. Sure, apple butter freezes well! Just let it cool to room temperature, pour it into Ziploc bags or other suitable freezer containers and pop it in the freezer!  That's all there is to it!

Q.  I have been using your site and recipes a lot this year in making a variety of jellies, jams and applesauce. I am trying to find a recipe for apple butter that has anise in it. I remember using it with my grandmother over 30 years ago but the recipe remained in her mind not on paper. Would you by chance have one that included this spice or no where I could get one??? Thanks,

A. Nope, I haven't tried it, yet!  But apparently some folks like the hint of licorice in their apple butter. You could easily add 5 whole star anise to each crockpot as you start to cook it.  Or 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise per batch.

Q. Using a Pressure Canner: "What a fabulous Apple Butter recipe ! I would like to know you if can use a pressure cooker to process and if so do you know the " pounds of pressure and the amount of time"? Cant wait to try the Pear butter next ! Thank you !"

A. Well, you could use a pressure canner, but there's no advantage to it. Apple butter is so acidic, and gets cooked so long, that it rarely ever spoils when processed in a boiling water bath. I don't remember a single jar spoiling on me in the past 25 years. In addition, since the only recipes tested by the USDA and Ball used a boiling water bath, we have to apply the same times to the pressure canner, as there is no data to support a shorter time. And the water bath times are only 5 minutes and 10 minutes, anyway, for pint and quart jars, respectively. So, you could use a pressure canner and use the times recommended for the boiling water bath, but I don't see the point in it.

Apple Butter Feedback, Tips and Comments

• A visitor writes on September 25, 2014: "Another recipe for your crockpot applebutter: I made more applebutter than we could eat in a reasonable amount of time. I froze some, then I put about 12 oz of it over a whole chicken (skin removed) in a crockpot with a tinsy bit of salt & pepper. Set the crockpot for low and cook for 7 or 8 hours. Yummy!"
• A visitor writes on October 20, 2013: "I made your crock pot apple butter a couple of weeks ago. The apples were picked in Virginia and carried back in a cooler. Not many apple trees in Arizona, so I picked when I had the opportunity. I chose to freeze it. The butter was awesome! Tonight I again made applesauce and it is soon ready to put in the crock pot. These apples came from a store at an extremely cheap price. I am anxious to see if it tastes as good. Making it in the crock pot is the best way to go. Years ago I made it on the stove or in the oven. Your recipe is outstanding! These jars will make excellent Christmas presents for friends and family to enjoy. Thank you so much."
• A visitor writes on July 31, 2013: "I am about to bottle up my first ever batch of crockpot apple butter! Am very excited. Just wanted to tell you that I used the left over apple pulp (including the skins) from when I used my steam juice extractor to make beautiful pure apple juice. I was left with 9kgs of apple pulp which I bagged and froze thinking I would use it in my baking (for the next 10 years!), and then I discovered crockpot apple butter. Thank you from me and my family."
• Comments from a visitor on October 25, 2011: "APPLE BUTTER HINT: I like to purchase a bag of the RED HOT candies, when the apple butter is cooking in the crock pot I add the desired ammt of RED HOTS to that to preferred taste of cinnamon for the Apple Butter and stir a couple times til they disolved.. Everyone loves it in my house this way and loves to eat it straight from the jar!"
• Comments from a visitor on September 25, 2011: "Made your recipe for apple butter this week-end. It is DELICIOUS! I live in the middle of Amish country, so apple butter is a staple here, but I've always wanted to try to make it myself. Easy recipe compared to some I;ve come upon. Add this treat to your list; apple butter and peanut butter together in a sandwich, but grilled like a toasted cheese sandwich! MMM! Nothing like warm apple butter and gooey peanut butter!"
• Comments from a visitor on November 02, 2009: "You are quite right - when cooking the apple butter down, put in a spice bag with stick cinnamon and star anise, quantity to be determined by individual preference and batch size. I am currently cooking down a batch that is from 3 boxes (roughly 60 pounds) of apples, and for this batch I put in spice bags with one jar of stick cinnamon and about 10 pieces of star anise."
  
• Comments from a visitor on November 01, 2009: "I made the apple butter today for the second time...fantastic! My husband says its better than his grandmother's! I visit your website often and have used the apple, pear, peach and apple butter recipes. This is my first year canning and I wanted to let you know how helpful your website is! I originally followed one of the links and ordered my water bath canning kit, it has paid for itself many times over with money we've saved preserving our own fruit versus store bought
• Comments from a visitor on October 26, 2009: "Wanted to let you know that the Apple Butter recipe is the best!! This summer was my first time canning and I found this recipe extremely easy. Although my crock pot is larger than shown I allowed it to cook on the 12 hours setting. My house smelled like apple butter for the entire weekend!!"

What to do with apple butter - how to use it!

Apple butter is a traditional German and Pennsylvania Dutch treat.  If you grow up in those cultures, you may have it heaped on cottage cheese or yogurt. Hey!  Don't knock till you;'ve tried it.  I can't stand cottage cheese, but with apple butter on it: yum!

Other folks spread apple butter on toast!  Here are some of the many other suggestions.  Write me if you have more to add!

1. Apple butter sandwiches! A little peanut butter is often added!
2. As a sauce to accompany pork loin or pork chops.
3. Add it to your morning oatmeal.
4. In sandwiches: grilled turkey,brie and apple butter sandwich
5. Flour tortillas crepes - heat the tortillas with a little oil, roll them up with apple butter as a filling. Then sprinkle them with a little cinnamon and sugar and toss them back in the skillet for a bit to caramelize the sugar and give them a crispy coating.
6. Melt apple butter and pour it over pecans that have been warmed in the oven, then sprinkle with a little salt and eat or serve while warm.
7. Use instead of maple syrup on Pancakes or French toast.
8. Make cakes using apple butter instead of part of the oil (about 50%). Eating Well's "Favorites" cookbook has a recipe for carrot cake, and there are Apple Spice Cake recipes online, too.
9. On ice cream; try warm apple butter on vanilla ice cream .
10. Apple Butter Bars (like date squares) - Use apple butter as the filling.
11. Apple butter muffins
12. Marinate fish (try salmon)  in a ginger teriyaki for a few hours, then put apple butter on both sides of the fish. If you like Blackened Cajun still, also sprinkle with red pepper.  Then, either way,  wrap in tin foil and put on the grill for 10 minutes or until flaky..

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Canning Books, Supplies and Accessories

These are my favorite essential canning tools, books and supplies. I've been using many of these for over 50 years of canning! The ones below on this page are just the sampling of. my preferred tools. but you can find much more detailed and extensive selections on the pages that are linked below.

• Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning
• Steam Juicers
• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Cherry pitters reviews, prices and ordering
• Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.