Apple Butter

What's the best thing about fall? Any thing and everything pumpkin spiced...

With a bag full of apples from our outing at Maskers Orchard in Warwick NY a few weeks back I decided to finally getting around to making something with them. And since both my sister and my husband loved Apple butter it was the first recipe to get done on my list of Apple goodies. I found this recipe on my search a recipe I had used a while back. That recipe involved a crockpot and some patience. While some people may love their crockpot I on the other hand do not..or maybe I just haven't figured out how to properly use it because I have a habit of making a mess and some how burning anything I cook in it. So it is hidden in the far corner of my pantry closet buried under boxes to hide my shame of not knowing how to use maybe one of the easiest appliances in the kitchen {wallows in shame}.  This recipe that I have found how ever used a big ol' pot and the stove top which is more my type of recipe. Plus they used pumpkin pie spice so that was another plus in my book. I had a ton of apples so for me I tripled the recipe so I had enough for the family and some to put away in the freezer for later on when I craved a taste of autumn. 

Apple butter:

5 large apples peeled core and sliced (be sure to save the Apple peels so you can make homemade apple cider vinegar) 

2 cups Apple bcider

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt 

Add the apples, sugar and Apple cider, into the pot and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt.

Lower the heat and let it cook for another 1-2 hours until the apples start to break down and some of the water starts to evaporate, make sure to stir every once in a while. 

Let it cool for a bit and if there are still big chunks of Apple you can use an immersion blender or food processor to make it smoother. You might need to do this in batches depending on how much you have made. If the Apple butter seems to thin add it back into the pot and simmer on medium heat until 20 minutes or until some of the juice evaporates. It should also thicken a bit as it cools. Cool and store in an air tight container or in mason jars. 

Store in fridge for 10 days or freeze and keep for later. 

Original recipe from: http://apple-of-my-eye.com/2013/10/02/pumpkin-spice-apple-butter/