Peaches and Apples  

Crockpot Peach Butter

Ingredients:

6 cups unsweetened peaches
3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups apricot nectar
2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Put peaches through food mill or food processor. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking until excess liquid cooks away, about 5 to 8 hours. Seal and refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.


Apple Butter

enough for about 5 - 8 oz. jars

10 medium-sized Granny Smith apples
a smidge less than 3 c. apple cider
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
ground allspice
freshly grated nutmeg
2-3 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
generous squeeze of lemon juice
freshly grated lemon rind

Special equipment needed: fine mesh strainer

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Core and wedge your apples (don't peel!). Place in a large pot with the apple cider. Cook over medium heat until apples are soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.

Put your apple mush in a food processor and whir away. You will probably have to do this in batches.

Return apples to a large, oven-proof pot. Mix in your sugar, spices and the lemon. I didn't give clear measurements here because it should all be to your own tastes. In other words, add a little of everything and then taste it! If you like it, you're done; if not, experiment. You'll probably want at least a teaspoon of all the spices. Put the whole spices in the pot right before you put it in the oven.

Put your apple mixture in the oven for 2-3 hours. It is ready when you can take a spoonful, plop it on a cold plate (chill one in the freezer for a few minutes), and no water accumulates around the apple mush.

Now comes the futsy part. Get out your fine mesh strainer and large bowl. In batches, put some of your apple mixture in the strainer, and using a wooden spoon, press as much through as possible. What comes out the other side should be smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape the underside of your mesh strainer as you go. Into another bowl, dump what won't go through the strainer (you can save this to eat as applesauce), refill the strainer and repeat until you've done it all.

When we get a lot of extra fruit we clean them and put them in the blender. We freeze them in small bags and use them through the year. We make smoothies, ice cream toping, or just eat them like apple sauce.

I make apple butter and I start with applesauce. If not you can cook your apples down to applesauce first.
Place 6 cup of applesauce in a crockpot
Add 1 package of red hot candies (or you can use 3-4 drops of liquid cinnamon but the red hots will add color to the finsihed apple butter.)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cloves
Make sure you place aluminum foil over your crock before putting the lid on. This prevents the water from gathering on the glass lid. And set your crockpot on high and cook for at least 6 hours more if possible. Stir occasinally but don't stir too often as you will loose your heat. Place in jars and if it doesn't seal turn them upside down and they will.
Have fun!

I like to make jams and jelly.

We aren't suppose to post recipes are we? Isn't it against the rules?