I love when the seasons change. As I was growing up and having to move around the country, the one thing that was constant was the seasons. Even in southern California the seasons changed subtlety. Fall was always a welcome change from the heat, dryness and humidity of summer.
As the air turns crisp and leaves transform into a kaleidoscope of colors, one iconic fruit takes center stage in the fall harvest: apples. One thing that often symbolized the change of weather from summer into winter was apple butter.
I’ve help prepare apple butter twice. Once with my girl scouts’ troop at Greenfield Village in Michigan. We scouts had to peel, dice, and cook the apples. It took all day. We cooked the apples in a giant copper kettle over a fire and used a long, two person stirring paddle. We took turns stirring that pot until I thought my arms would fall off. I can remember the smell of the fire and the spices.
The second time I helped make apple butter was for a friend’s October wedding. We opted for the modern, kitchen friendly crockpot recipe since we didn’t have the time or the number of willing victims needed to make a historically accurate apple butter. We used four slow cookers and made about 200 jars. Then we had to add a ribbon and tag. Everyone took those favors home.
Twice was enough for me. I am really glad I can buy it at the store! Fun fact: J.M. Smucker Company, known for its jams and jellies, started as an apple butter producer in 1897. (This fact started another deep dive into Google and another topic for later!).
Apple butter is a concentrated spiced apple sauce that makes for a great seasonal spread. There’s no butter in apple butter. It’s more a cross between jam and high-octane applesauce. It is only called “butter” because of its soft-thick butter-like consistency. Easy to spread onto your toast.
As it is a simple way to preserve apples, apple butter dates back to medieval times in Europe. Apple butter became a staple in the U.S. after being brought over by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers. It’s a way to preserve apples, and the traditional way of making apple butter often took an entire day and multiple people, who took turns peeling, stirring, and watching the apple butter as it cooked. Apple butter was a crucial part of 19th-century American life, allowing families to utilize their apple harvest and store it for later use.
Apple butter can be a great way to balance sauces, marinades, glazes, sandwich spreads and dressings. It can add depth of flavor and moisture to baked goods like muffins, cakes, waffles, and cookies. And it can be swirled into cheesecake, ice cream, and oatmeal. I love to spread it on a warm buttered biscuit or add it into vanilla pudding.
Pairing apple butter with cheese, crackers, and cured meats on a charcuterie board is a perfect choice too. Its sweet and savory profile complements the flavors of cheeses and meats.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
5 lbs. apples Any variety works fine
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 dashes salt
Instructions
Peel, core and slice the apples. Add the apples to the slow cooker. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Stir. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8-10 hours. After the apples have cooked, place them and any liquid that the apples made into a blender, cover with lid, and a towel on top of that (to prevent burns, in case the lid flies off). Hold the lid on while the blender is on. Pulse for about a minute, until very smooth. OR use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker. Notes: You can use apple pie spice instead of these individual spices. Use 1 Tablespoon plus one teaspoon of apple pie spice. How to store Apple Butter: This is not a canning recipe; canning requires a special recipe and precautions. You can store it in small plastic or glass containers and refrigerate it for up to a week. Freeze what you know you won’t use right away, leave about an inch of room at the top of your containers or jars. Freeze for up to a year.
Spiced Apple Butter Pork Roast
Servings: 7 -8 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 lb pork loin roast
1 cup apple butter
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt approximately 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub kosher salt all over the pork roast. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides and then set aside. Mix the pepper into the apple butter and then generously rub and cover the roast on all sides with the mixture. Place in a baking dish and roast until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Cooking time was 70-80 minutes; however, I did allow the uncooked roast to rest at room temperature for about an hour prior to cooking it. If you are cooking a cold roast straight from the fridge, it will take a little
while longer.
