Having the words “easy” and “Crock-pot” in the same sentence is a bit redundant, I know. This apple butter is really simple to make and is a great way to make a dent in a bushel of apples.

Yep, I bought a whole bushel of Jonathan apples! 40 pounds of apples for $17 is a fabulous price to me.

I have started to see the end of my homemade jam stash. I didn’t think we would go through so much jam, but when it tastes so good, you tend to try to think of excuses to eat your peach jam.

So, on to the apple butter.

Here’s what you need: approx 3 dozen apples, 1 T pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, 3/4 cup brown sugar. Yield will depend upon how long you cook down the apple butter. You should get at least 6 half pints.

Here’s what makes this so easy (beside the Crock-pot)- no peeling! That’s right, with Jonathan apples you can skip the terribly tedious chore of peeling 36 apples.

I just used this handy dandy apple corer/slicer. Remove the cores and save them for your favorite chickens.

The hard work is done now. The Crock-pot does most of the work from here.

Place the apples and spices in the Crock-pot on high for 3 hours, then stir and cook on low for another 2 hours.

By this point, the apples will be very soft and the peels will be disintegrating.

Puree it in a food processor (I used my Ninja-it’s great for helping separate lettuce seeds too!). It will probably still be a bit too thin for apple butter, so take the lid off and cook it on low for another 2 hours or so to evaporate extra moisture.

Your home will smell so wonderful. Much better than fake apple pie scented wax, for sure.

Now taste the apple butter. I did not have you add the sugar until now, because once they cook down you may realize that you do not need or want as much sugar. Add about 1/4 cup of sugar at a time to taste. I recommend tasting it on a fresh biscuit. 🙂

You can store it in the fridge for a few weeks. I recommend storing a few jars for yourself, then making some friends by handing out the rest.

Who is that crazy lady eating it all now? Save some for Christmas gifts!!!

If you want to can it, now is a great time to do so. I canned mine in half pint jars for 15 minutes.

Maybe there will be some left by Christmas. I probably should just make another batch. I still have about a gazillion apples in my fridge, even after eating them fresh and making applesauce too.

Look for an easy applesauce recipe soon!

So, what should I make next? I hope you are able to take advantage of local deals on seasonal produce too.