instructions:
- Prepare the apples, placing them right in the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker as you peel, core, and quarter them.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Cook on HIGH, covered, 1 hour.
- Reduce to LOW, stir again, and cook, covered, for 8-10 hours (overnight works great).
- Uncover, stir, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour to reduce a bit, leaving the lid off or halfway on cooker.
- Use an immersion blender right in cooker, blending until smooth. Continue cooking uncovered on HIGH until desired thickness (about 30m-1hr longer).** Alternatively, pour applebutter into a blender, blend well and return to slow cooker.
- If canning, prepare canning jars, lids and canner while reducing. If freezing, let apple butter cool before adding to freezer-safe small jars.
- To can: ladle into warm 1/2-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace, wiping rims & attaching lids. Place in water bath canner, bring back to a boil, lower heat to maintain a low boil and process for 10 minutes.
- Turn off burner, remove lid and jars let sit in canner for 5 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined surface and let cool at least 12 hours without touching them. Check seals, label and store in a cool place.
**You want a jam-like consistency. Check by letting fall from a spoon - slowly is the goal - or placing a spoonful in a small container to see if it keeps it shape a bit.
