Crockpot Apple Butter

Would you like your home to smell heavenly with very little effort? Then make some apple butter! Here's what you need to do.....

Fill your crockpot with applesauce. I have a large crockpot so it took four and a half quarts to fill mine. (You want the crock to be full so it doesn't burn.) Stir in some cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger or cloves to taste. Add 2c. of sucanat. (or organic brown sugar) and stir. Then leave it all day to cook on low, with the cover of the pot open slightly to release steam. I use two butterknives across the ends of the crock to set the lid askew, but be careful if you do this because the knives can get hot. Stir it once in a while to make sure it isn't burning.

Here is what the sauce and sugar and spices looked like at the beginning...

After several hours your house will start to smell so so sooooo good. The kids will keep coming into the kitchen to see if they can have some, but it won't be ready just yet. Wait until your sauce looks like this.....

See how caramelly it looks? (What? Caramelly can be a word!) At this point your sauce should be done. It should be thick enough to stay on a knife for spreading. If it's not thick enough for your liking just leave it to cook longer. If you like really smooth applebutter then use your hand blender to puree it. Voila! Apple goodness.

My large crock makes 3 quarts and 1 pint of apple butter. I froze mine to use throughout the winter, but you can can it too. (can can, heh.) It would make a splendid gift to share with a friend.