Crockpot Apple Butter

Note: The CrockPot Fruit Butter eBook is NOW AVAILABLE! Click here for more details.

 

…now on to the good stuff…

 

I adapted this easy recipe from Cake Student because I had everything on hand and it worked out beautifully. I used a little more water than the recipe called for, and I did add slightly more brown sugar and spices. By slightly more, I mean rounded teaspoons instead of being specific with my measurements. I mean can a few extra pinches of brown sugar really hurt?

Makes a little more than 1 pint

1 dozen apples, peeled, cored, cubed

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon All Spice

Step 1:

Peel, Core, and Chop a dozen apples. I used apples from our trip to the Apple Orchard. I’m no apple expert, but these apples were more dense than the apples I typically buy in the grocery store. The flavor was great, but it took longer to break down in the Crockpot.

Step 2:

Toss the apples in the sugar and spices.

Step 3:

Put everything in the Crockpot, then [say it with me] Set It, and Forget It!

anyone else remember that infomercial?

I cooked it on Low overnight and woke up to this…

After a few more hours on low, I bumped it to high and propped the lid.

it cooked down and thickened quite a bit.

Step 4:

I suppose it’s optional, but I decided to blend the butter down smooth. You can eat it right out of the Crockpot, I did. I just took a spoon to the Crockpot and dove in, it was divine. However, for the finished product I wanted it smoother and pulled out my Magic Bullet since I don’t own an immersion blender. Then poured it into clean canning jars.

So after 15 hours and a dozen apples picked right from the tree, I had 1 pint of delicious apple butter. I froze half the batch and have the other half in the fridge just waiting to be eaten…maybe straight from the jar.

Next up…Pumpkin Butter!

SHOWING THE LOVE!!

Linking To: Polly Want A Crafter, Between Naps on the Porch, Craft-O-Maniac, The Girl Creative, Making the World Cuter, Today’s Creative, Not JUST A Housewife, Ginger Snap Crafts, Blue Cricket Design, Very Merry Vintage Style, We Are THAT Family, Savvy Southern Style, The Artsy Girl Connection, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Not So Functional Housewife, The Shabby Nest, Addicted 2 Decorating, Remodelaholic, The Crafty Nest, Dear Creatives, Funky Junk Interiors

Apple Picking In Julian, CA

There aren’t enough words to properly explain how much I love fall. It’s by far my favorite season. The heat is disappearing, the leaves are starting to change, and there’s a feel of holiday spirit in the air.

For the past few years I’ve wanted to visit a local apple orchard to pick apples. I always seem to miss the apple season by planning a visit in November, only to find out that the apple season is Sept – Oct.

This was the year to change all that and it was a fun local adventure, I’m sure I’ll be back next year.

 

After a bit of research I found Raven Hill Orchard in Julian, CA seemed to be the best around. It’s also incredibly popular so you want to make sure you get there early.

When you enter you’ll meet the owners (Very cool dudes) and pay for a bag. It was $10 for all you could fit in the bag. Expensive for apples, yes. But you’re not just paying of the apples, it the whole experience. I would do it again in a heart beat.

There were dozen and dozens of rows to wander through and several different types of apples; including, Golden Delicious, Empire, Fuji, and one other I can’t recall.

I went with my parents and this was my Mom’s bag. She’s already used some to bake an Apple Pie today and hardly made a dent. There’s a lot of apples in them bags.

…and my bag. I have so many fun recipes planned for these apples. Apples Chips, Apple Butter, Apple Crisp, Grilled Cheese with Apples, Parmesan Crisps w/ Apples, etc…

Outside the orchard there was a little fair going on with a live country band. We were only about an hour from San Diego and it had such a small town, country feel. Beautiful, but we just ‘weren’t in Kansas anymore’ if you catch my drift.

We were there for about an hour wandering the aisles and just having a blast. Even my dad enjoyed the trip. I may be able to get him out there again next year. He’s also tall, so he was good to have around for the perfect apples up top…hehe.

We couldn’t stay much longer because my Brother and Sister-In-Law were coming to visit from Virginia. I hadn’t seem them almost a year and it was great to catch up. I miss them.

We also made a trip to Home Depot to pick up some lumber for a little project for the front door. There is so many fun projects planned for the next few weeks I can hardly stand it.

 

Have you ever been Apple Picking? Or any kind of Fruit/Veggie picking?