I love Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine, and I get especially excited when I find a recipe that is for something I love and is easy to do. Having grown up in small-town Ohio and in the country, my family made (and still makes) apple butter every fall. Everyone has to take a turn stiring the giant pot if you want your own cans. I craved homemade apple butter while I was pregnant, and even though I hadn't helped stir, I was sent a big jar by my very sweet aunt. Now, thanks to Martha, I can make my own. You can keep it for yourself, put in in cute jars for gifts, or even use it for wedding favors! I like to put mine on my morning english muffin and if my husband is lucky, I share it with him.
Ingredients
Makes 6 cups
- 2 1/2 pounds Bartlett or Anjou pears (about 5)
- 2 1/2 pounds McIntosh or Gala apples (about 5)
- 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions
- Peel, quarter, and core pears and apples. In a food processor, finely grate fruit (in batches if necessary), then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in dark-brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on high, 4 hours.
- Remove cinnamon stick and reserve. Transfer mixture to processor (in batches if necessary) and process until smooth. Return to slow cooker, along with cinnamon stick, and cook on high, uncovered, until mixture is thick and browned, 4 hours. Discard cinnamon stick and let mixture cool. Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate, up to 3 weeks, or freeze, up to 3 months.
*I made mine with only apples and 2 cinnamon sticks, and it turned out great!
