Homemade Canning Gifts: Day Three- Apple Butter

I prefer fruit butters to normal jams/jellies, but they require SO MUCH FRUIT, I usually only do small batches.  Last year I made a small batch peach butter that was so freakin' fantastic, I only gave away 2 jars and kept the other 2 for myself!

I used a slow cooker recipe for this particular batch.  The only real benefit of the slow cooker method, in my opinion, is that I didn't have to watch a pot on the stove all day, which actually means a lot to me.  So, I may be doing this method more often.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

recipe slightly adapted from here

Ingredients:

6 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 c. sugar
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. vanilla

Directions:

1. Place apples in slow cooker.  In a medium bowl, combine sugars, spices and salt.  Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.
2. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
3. Uncover, and stir in vanilla.  Continue cooking uncovered, on low, for another 2 hours.
4. Use an immersion blender, or transfer mixture to a regular blender, to puree the apple butter until smooth.
5. Transfer to jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.  Or, refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Bench notes:
- I used Gala apples, because that's what was on sale!
- I used a regular blender to puree the apple butter.  Just be sure to transfer in small batches, and to leave the top off the lid and cover with a towel.  (Hot mixtures like to explode in blenders, if the steam can't get out.)
- The original recipe called for 1/4 tsp. cloves, but I think anything more than a flake of cloves is too much, so I omitted it.

Up next:
Homemade Canning Gifts:  Day Four - Carrot Cake Jam