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I'm sorry for my absence. The family and I took a vacation this past weekend and I wanted to take a little blogging break. But I'm back now! And with a new recipe to boot!
Normally, the second ingredient in any apple butter at the store is sugar. It doesn't matter what form of it: evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, or just plain beet sugar. Even Trader Joe's Honey Apple Butter has sugar as the second ingredient.
I really wanted apple butter for days, but didn't want all the sugar that came with it. The only way to do that would be to make it myself. *sigh* Another thing to make. That's what I thought.
When I first set out to make apple butter I thought it would be a lot of work. But it really wasn't! The most I had to do was prep the apples and stir every hour or so. It'd be the perfect thing to make on a day when you're stuck inside.
The butter isn't too sweet and not too tart. Most commercial apple butters don't have enough spice for me, but this one is full of spice. I wasn't disappointed at all. Especially when I smothered this muffin and this biscuit with the stuff. Oh it was so good.
Even though apple season is over, that's no reason to not make apple butter, which is good any time of the year. ;)
2 lbs. apples (I used Pink Lady. Use tarter apples such as Granny Smith if you prefer tarter butter)
1 c. apple juice (To decrease the amount of sugar, try water)
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
1. Peel, core, and slice apples. Add to crock-pot.
2. Stir in the apple juice, cover, and put crock-pot on high. Stir about every hour until the apples are dark brown and mushy. This took me about four hours.
3. Switch crock-pot to low and add the rest of the ingredients. Keep the lid off and cook for an additional 4-5 hours or until the apple butter is to the consistency you prefer. Make sure to stir about every hour so the honey/maple syrup doesn't burn.
4. Keep in the fridge in a glass container. Spread on English muffins, toast, biscuits, muffins, or anything else you desire.
Inquiry of the Day:
Sweet or tart apples?
I've always loved sweet ones. Give me Fuji, Gala, or even Honeycrisps, and I'll eat them.
Wow that looks super tasty!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :D
DeleteYummy!:D It looks so good:) I wonder if it would taste good in as an apple butter and peanutbutter sandwich... (sorry, I try to mix everythign with peanutbutter!)
ReplyDeleteJust a question: Do you think I could leave out the honey? If not that's perfectly Ok, I'm not really a strict vegan so a little honey wouldn't make me freak out!
Definitely sweet! All my teeth are sweet teeth!:)
You could definitely leave out the honey and replace it with either maple syrup or agave. I just added both honey and maple syrup because I thought the flavors would be good.
DeleteAnd I completely understand trying to pair everything with peanut butter. I mean, peanut butter by itself is good, so why wouldn't it be with everything else? ;)An apple butter and PB sandwich sounds delicious! Let me know how it is if you try it.