Overnight Apple Butter

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
10 medium apples, peeled and cut into large chunks

Method

Combine all ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until apples are very tender.

Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; spoon one-third of apple mixture into sieve. Press mixture through sieve using the back of a spoon or ladle. Discard pulp. Repeat procedure with remaining apple mixture. Return apple mixture to slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a bowl; cover and chill up to a week.

Stovetop variation: Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 hour or until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve as recipe instructs in Step 2. Return mixture to pan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

Note: A mixture of apple varieties, rather than just one type, will produce apple butter with rich, complex flavour.

Credits: Domenica Marchetti

Photo Credits: Jamie