Werther’s Carmel Apple Butter Crockpot Recipe

This apple butter does take most of the day to make, however you can speed it up by starting to cook the apples before you go to bed. The crock-pot does all the work leaving you free to get in a full day of laundry or start on a much needed house cleaning after a busy gardening season. It’s also a good thing to make while having a Netflix marathon so that you can convince your husband that you have had a productive day…..if you know what I mean.

Some people (not mentioning any names) have even been known to eat it right out of the jar with a spoon and then claim is that it is really just a very fancy, delicious gourmet apple sauce that makes for a healthy breakfast. With all that sugar I have my doubts but I can confirm that Werther’s Carmel Apple Butter is good on toast or muffins, that it makes an excellent desert crepe or spice cake filling and that it is exceptionally tasty when used as a topping on vanilla ice cream.

I have also found some other recipes Using Apple Butter (after it has been processed) that I want to try but that will have to wait until I have more time. Until then here’s the Werther’s Carmel Apple Butter Crockpot Recipe to start your own Guerrilla Garden Cooking Adventure!

Werther’s Carmel Apple Butter Crock-pot Recipe

Ingredients:
3 pounds of tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1/2 cup water or 1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
21 Werther’s caramels

Directions:
1. Peel, core and chop apples
2. Place apples and Apple juice or water in crock-pot.
3. Cook apples on low for at least 5 hours. Apples should crumble and smoosh just by stirring.
4. Remove apples with a slotted spoon-puree using a food mill, food processor, blender or whatever you have on hand. (discard fluid in pot).
5. Place apple puree back into crock pot.
6. Add the sugar slowly and stir it in.
7. Return to medium high heat-you want mixture to bubble.
8. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least another 2 hours stirring frequently. Cook until apple butter is thick and creamy.
9. Add the ginger, cloves and cinnamon, stirring well.
10. Add the caramels.
11. Turn the heat up to medium low, stirring constantly until caramels are melted.
12. Using a frozen plate place a spoonful of butter in center. If no rim of liquid forms, your apple butter is done.
13. Ladle carmel apple butter into clean hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids.
14. Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. If one of the jars doesn’t seal, keep it in the fridge and use it first.

Note: If you have never canned before don’t freak out if you don’t know how to do this step
There is a really good tutorial on Hot Water Bath Canning  by Mavis Butterfield over at One Hundred Dollars a Month.