How to Make Homemade Apple Butter - Easily!

You think making and canning your own apple butter is difficult?  Well, it used to be!  Until crock pots and slow cookers came along!

Now, it's easy!  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.

Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years, and require no special attention. A side benefit is that your house will smell wonderful while it is cooking - much better than potpourri!

Directions for Making apple butter

Ingredients and Equipment

• 9 quarts of Applesauce (See step 1)
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
• Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sterilize them. ($2 at WalMart)
• Jar funnel ($2 at Walmart)
• 1 Crock pot (slow cooker)
• Large spoons and ladles
• 1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars of apple butter after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at WalMart (seasonal item))
• Ball jars (Publix, WalMart carry then - about $8 per dozen quart jars including the lids and rings)

  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.  So if you haven't made some applesauce yet start here with how to make applesauce.  Otherwise continue to step 2.

Step 2 - Fill the crock pot

Fill the crock pot to within an inch of full with applesauce, mine takes about 5.5 quarts.

Step 3 -Add the spices

Add:

• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice

• 2 cups sugar

Step 4 - Cook the Apple butter

Set the crock pot on low or medium heat. 

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.

Leave it to cook for 6 - 12 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 let mine go overnight.

It will 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. Then let it cook a couple of hours more to mix the flavors.

Step 5 - 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, the water bath processing will sterilize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sterilize 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 boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Step 6 - 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.  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).

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 7 - Fill the jars

Fill them 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.  Put them in the canner and keep them cover 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 at the bottom of this page.

Step 8 - 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.

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. Lid 
          - disposable - you may only 
          use them once
4. Ring 
         - holds the lids on the jar until after
         the jars cool - then you don't need them
5. Canning jar funnel
         - to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits This is the same type of  standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! Average Customer Review: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Can't find the equipment?  We ship to all 50 states! Just email us!