Apple butter doesn't actually contain any dairy, but gets its name instead because of its creamy, butter-like texture. It is made by slow cooking apples with sugar until the sugar caramelizes and turns the apples a rich brown color. Traditional apple butter usually contains apples, brown or white sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. I am not a huge fan of cloves, so I like using nutmeg and allspice in its place. I also think you could substitute the sugar with honey, but I haven't experimented with that yet.

Using a crock pot cuts out a lot of stove top baby sitting for this task. You only have to stir it a couple times during the cooking process, as opposed to frequently on the stove top to avoid burning at the bottom. I usually prefer cooking with my stove, but since apple butter requires such a time commitment it is nice to just set it and forget it. I actually cooked mine overnight. I did set my alarm to get up once in the night to stir it, but let it dance alone at its own party for most of the night.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

• About 5 lbs of apples (about half a peck)
• 3 cups of white sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

 Most recipes say to peel and core the apples first. I don't bother peeling them because I run everything through the food processor to smooth at the end. I just core and slice, throw in the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients, stir well, cover with the lid, and let it cook. I start it out on high for about an hour and then turn down to low for about 8 hours or more. Stir after the first hour when turning it down to low, then at least once again before it is done.

When it is done slow cooking, throw it in the food processor or blender in batches to smooth. You can store it in the fridge, freezer, or by canning. If you are canning, make sure to follow proper canning safety measures to ensure your jars are shelf stable. If you let it cool, make sure to re-heat through. When you put the jars into a hot water bath to seal, they can break if there is a big temperature shock. 

Make sure to wash and sterilize your mason jars and lids. Sterilize them by taking the lids off and sticking the jars and lids in the oven (pre-heated to 225) for at least 20 minutes. Fill jars with apple butter, leaving about 1/4 an inch of space at the top. Clean and dry the rims of the jars, close with lids, then process in a water bath. This is done by bringing a large boiler of water to a rolling boil, placing jars in, covering, and boiling for 10 minutes. If you do not have a canning boiler equipped with an insert rack with handles to insert and remove jars, you can buy a hand held can gripper for a couple bucks. Make sure not to set any of the hot jars down on any cold water or cool surfaces as this can break the glass. I just put out a clean towel to let them dry on. Check jars after 24 hours to make sure that all of them sealed.

Enjoy your apple butter on biscuits, toast, or just about anything!