Apple butter

I may have mentioned our recent apple picking trip with the family, during which we appear to have picked more than 70 pounds of apples.  You may have realized that this is way too many apples for a family of four to take on and you would be correct.  So we've decided we'd take them down in the fastest and easiest ways we can (since our lives are NUTS and evenings consist of dinner, hanging with the boys, pack lunches, and crash on the couch at 9:00... maybe that's not WE but ME, but I digress), and apple butter has been brought to the table.  

This apple butter recipe calls for 6.5 pounds of apples, which goes far further in taking 70 pounds down than each of us having an apple every single day in our lunches.  Did I mention how much I love my new apple peeler?

I didn't get around to processing (see what our lives look like and consider how many dishes are usually left sitting in the sink; I didn't feel like dirtying another to use the immersion blender), which resulted in a chunky, more like applesauce, concoction, that is incredibly delicious and very sweet.

Quite good on apple bread, if I do say so myself.

I love that this cooked while we slept, and we all woke up to the most delicious aromas coming from the kitchen!

Going into the crock pot!

All finished!

 Thanks to Tastes of Lizzy T for the great recipe!

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Place the apples in a slow cooker. Add the sugars, cinnamon, salt and vanilla to the crockpot. Mix well. Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring every couple hours. The apple butter should be thick and dark brown. If desired, use a blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze in small containers.