easy apple butter

How To Make easy apple butter

• 
  1

  add 5-6 qt of apple sauce to crock pot
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  2

  add spices and half of the sugar if used
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  3

  - set crock pot/slow cooker on low or med
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  4

  - cook down apple sauce. If not cooked down visibly within 8 hrs turn heat to med. until visibly cooked down by half.
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  5

  - while cooking cover crock pot/slow cooker loosely ( I use a wooden spoon or off set my lid to vent off moisture)
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  6

  - you need to keep covered to prevent splatter. It will splatter while cooking. instead of a lid you could use a large pot splatter screen but I don't have one..I use my lid.
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  7

  - cook for a total of 6-18 hrs
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  8

  - Once reduced by half add remaining apple sauce and sugar cook on high for at least 2 hrs until thickened.
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  9

  - Pack into clean hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headroom
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  10

  - seat lid and tighten band onto jar
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  11

  - process in boiling water for 10 min for quart jars for 10 min
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  12

  - place upside down on dry towel to cool - once cool turn right side up and store - refrigerate apple butter once open
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  13

  Hints & Tips: for smoother consistency you can blend with a hand blender. For those who like anise you can use 1/4 t. ground star anise or as much as you want to taste. Some use red hot cinnamon candies in the apple butter while cooking. My Grandmother did.
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