Who’s going apple picking this fall? I am, I am! I love to make All The Apple Things after lugging home a haul of different apple varieties. (Even though I can’t eat All The Apple Things currently due to the candida I’m fighting, my family loves the recipes and I can still have small amounts of them).
While I have not yet gone apple picking, I did get some organic Red Delicious apples from a friend’s tree. (Side note: Red Delicious apples fresh off the tree are so much better than the store bought type). I got to work on this crate of apples by making two batches of apple butter and a paleo apple cake, while still leaving enough for my family to eat fresh.
History of Apple Butter
Apple butter originated during the Middle Ages. Monasteries had orchards of apple trees and made apple butter to preserve the fruit.
While apple butter has no actual butter in it, the name refers to the smooth, creamy consistency of the condiment. It often has cinnamon added to it, among other spices, and is usually sweetened with sugar. In this recipe I use maple syrup to keep it paleo (cane sugar gives me headaches and is super addictive).
Apple butter can be spread on toast, pancakes, waffles or even used in savory recipes, such as pork chops or in a cheese and sauerkraut sandwich.
How To Make It
After picking your crisp, in-season apples (or sourcing them from a friend), wash and weigh them. Then, cut out any wormy parts and slice them into even sized pieces, about one inch. I keep the skins on for extra nutrition, and it also gives the apple butter a nice, deep color. Place them in a slow cooker and add maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Cook on low overnight. In the morning, remove the lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes to evaporate extra liquid. Blend it up with an immersion blender.
Your Turn
Will you give this recipe a try? How will you enjoy it? Share your favorite way to eat apple butter in the comments below!
And don’t forget about these other apple recipes:
- Celery Root Apple Puree: A tasty alternative to mashed potatoes, this under appreciated root vegetable stars in a Fall/Winter side dish
- Fall Frisée Salad: Perfectly balanced flavors of tart apple, sweet cranberries, rich walnuts and funky blue cheese on a bed of frisée and topped with a tangy dressing.
- Apple Cheddar Panini: A new twist on an old favorite. Apple butter and tart apples make this grilled cheese sandwich sing.
Hope you like this overnight apple butter, and let me know in the comments below if you give it a try. Until next time,
Rebekah
Overnight Apple Butter
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 10 lbs. fresh apples I used Red Delicious
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
Instructions
- Core apples and cut out any wormy spots. Slice into 1 inch pieces.
- Add apples, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, uncover and continue cooking for 30 minutes to evaporate extra liquid. Puree with immersion blender, ladle into jars (leaving 2 inches space at the top), and refrigerate or freeze.
