Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Apple season is coming to an end here in the Pacific Northwest, but year after year I'm amazed at how great our apples are here! Growing up I got pretty spoiled with my mom and grandma's home-canned applesauce, apple butter, hot apple pie, fresh apple cider. . .aahh, I can smell it now! Unfortunately, my canning days are few and far between right now. Canning somehow got shoved on the list with: Get a pedicure, lose 10 pounds, and write in the baby's scrapbook (my baby is two). I did, however, stay up late this last weekend to get some applesauce canned.  I made myself do it because I can hardly bring myself to eat the store-bought variety after years of the "good stuff". It's the only canning I did or will do for this year. A couple years ago I found a way to make the store-bought sauce taste pretty good, by making it into apple butter. Now, if you aren't familiar with apple butter, by all means, let me fill you in. Apple butter is basically applesauce with added sugar and spices that is cooked down all day until it is dark and thick like jam. It is divine on toast, and slays me spread on a buttery biscuit. It just tastes like fall! Canned in little jars it is beautiful and makes for darling little hostess gifts. Give this recipe below a try. It is so, so easy and you'll impress your friends and neighbors (okay, that might be pushin' it, but it is easy and delicious)!

Happy canning friends!

Joy's Cheatin' Apple Butter

Ingredients:

2- 46.5 oz jars unsweetened apple sauce (or 3 quarts)

3 cups sugar

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover. Cook on High for 11-12 hours, removing lid during last 4 hours of cooking. Stir occasionally. Makes 5 pints.

Note: This is easy to can by the Inversion Method.

Ladle apple butter into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/8 inch from top of jar. Wipe rims. Cover with hot canning lids and screw on bands tightly. Invert jars for 5 minutes, then turn upright. You will hear little pops as your jars cool and lids seal to jars. After jars are cool, check seals. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal.

Another note ; ) I usually start this in my crockpot right before bed and let it cook all night. In the morning I'll remove the lid and stir and let it finish cooking. The bonus is you wake up to a heavenly smell!