Honey Apple Butter in the Crockpot
The aroma is as enticing as the flavor when you are making honey apple butter. How much natural goodness can you fit on a spoon? This recipe is easy to make and uses a crockpot instead of you having to stand over the stove for hours. Full of fiber, vitamins and minerals this is one of the tastiest spreads around!
Apple Butter – History in a Slow Cooker
As a child, I always loved the time of year when my Granny made apple butter. Living near the South Carolina mountains, several trips to the apple orchards near Hendersonville, NC were annual events.
The scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and apples permeated the whole house. And, Granny would spend hours stirring that large pot of cooking apples.
She didn’t have a crockpot or slow cooker but thankfully today we have that option. I still think of her anytime I make this apple spread.
Instructions:
1. Use the apples of your choice. Choosing a variety that is a mix of tart and sweet often works well but I have made apple butter with every kind of apple. Wash – leave the peel on for extra fiber and cut into chunks – discard the seeds.
Then, dump them in your slow cooker and add the spices, honey and water. Stir well to combine and coat the apple chunks.
2. Place the top on your cooker and let them cook on 8-9 hours. Check them every few hours – you will have to be the judge of whether or not to add more water. The juicier the apples – the less water you may need.
3. When everything is soft and ready, your ingredients will look much different – don’t worry. We are not done yet.
4. The best way to get a good smooth honey apple butter is the use a food process to puree the mixture. Then its time to jar it up and seal with a tight lid. Store in the frig unless you want to go thru the “canning process”.
Storing
Your fresh apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks in a tight sealing container – if you don’t eat it up sooner.
However, maybe you would like to have some on hand for another time – when you may not have time to cook.
One way to store your special apple spread is to freeze it in small containers. Then you can remove small portions at a time.
The other option is to preserve the apple butter using the boiling water canning method. This is a great option if you would like to give small jars of homemade honey apple butter for gifts!
This is what I do when I make this recipe. Those canned jar come in really handy and it is not hard to do.
FAQs & Expert Tips
The moisture content of the apples used can vary. That’s why I suggest that you add only a small amount in the beginning. Your recipe will thicken after cooking when it cools.
However, even at 1/2 cup of water, I wanted my honey apple butter to be a bit thicker. I transferred it to a saucepan and heated it on the stove for just a bit.
This delicious spread can be used on toast, bagels or even in a sandwich to add a bit of special flavor. It can also be used as a side dish on its own or as part of a marinade in some styles of cooking.
If you have a little extra time, you might try my Honey Blueberry Scones with a bit of your homemade apple butter.
No, apple butter does not contain any butter. Instead this term is used to refer to the buttery consistency of the spread. In fact there are many different fruits you can use to make butter spreads.
The texture and taste is different. Apple butter is like a concentrate apple sauce. It is thicker and generally has more spices.
The sweetness of the final product will depend somewhat on the apples you use. I find this recipe not too sweet but my husband loves it just like this as he says the flavor of the apples is not overwhelmed.
Making honey apple butter is a great way to use up apples that you may have on hand-before they spoil. And, what a tasty way to be frugal. Know any honey lovers that need a gift? Yes, please.
Using honey in your recipes is a great way to add it in your diet – especially for those of you who may not enjoy the taste of honey alone.
It is a great base for this recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce. Or, if you love flavored coffee drinks, whip up this honey bee latte.
Other great ideas include honey glazed nuts such as : roasted honey almonds or glazed cashews. And, if you have never tried cinnamon honey butter – well, you really should.
Ready to try your hand at making a homemade pie? If so, this pumpkin pie sweetened with honey could not be a easier project to try.
Honey Apple Butter
The wonderful aroma will make you want to hurry the process but don’t. The sweet spicy apple butter will be worth the wait.
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Read my disclosure.Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pounds apples any type but mix of sweet and tart is good
- 2/3 cup honey
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoons cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
- 1/2 – 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash apples and peel if desired (you can leave the peel on if you wish). Cut apples into large chunks – discarding the seeds.
- Place apples in a large crockpot and all of the other ingredients. Use a large spoon to stir well and coat the apples with the other ingredients. Start with 1/2 cup of water only.
- Add more water during cook if the apple butter is very thick. Cook on low for 8-9 hours stirring occasionally.
- Once finished cooking, allow the mixture to cool for a short while then add to a food processor or use a blender. OR, if you have an immersion blender you can blend the ingredients right in the crock pot. Blend until smooth.
- Store your finished honey apple butter in a tight sealing container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.