Last week I traded pears from our pear trees, for apples from our dairy farmer at Green Chin Farms. Lucky the apples survived the week long stay in my refrigerator until I could can them all – this morning.
I made apple butter and cranberry apple butter. Both batches were made overnight in two separate crock pots. This method, after four years of slaving away canning pears from our pear trees, is the easiest way in the universe to can anything! Paired with an apple core/peeler that slices the apples too, like this one, this canning project was a breeze.
Here’s the recipe I used to make apple butter. For the cranberry apple butter my goal was to copy the one we love at the Flying Biscuit restaurant in Atlanta. I followed this copy cat recipe – except I cooked a crock pot full of plain apples over night that turned into plain applesauce. Then I doubled the spice mixture in the recipe, simmered it all together with the applesauce, and ran my emersion blender through it to dissolve the cranberry skins before putting the mixture into hot jars and a water bath for 20 minutes.
I just had my first piece of toast with the cranberry apple butter. And I positively deem it to be a success!
One of my favorite things about canning in pretty jars like those by Weck, is that they become instant teacher gifts for the holidays. I love that simplicity!
And talk about simple – this crock pot canning is the way to go. Find an apple orchard and give it a try. These recipes will not disappoint.