All Day Apple Butter

It was a fall-ish sort of weekend. We joined some friends in the country for a private tour of Desert Lake Gardens, followed by lunch at The Mill Street Cafe.



The Mill Street Cafe is a sweet little cafe in the town of Sydenham, serving local organic food straight from Desert Lake Gardens. Rick and Pat Dawson, who own both the gardens and the cafe, serve up tasty food and friendly service. Food from the cafe is also available for delivery to your door (in Kingston!) on their website: http://www.dlgardens.com/millstreet/index.html


Saturday night, we crashed. After a day of sun, fresh air, and great food we were more than ready for bed.

When I woke up Sunday morning it was rain, rain, rainy. Cool and damp I was feeling fall all over! I decided to whip up a batch of all day apple butter to warm the house and our tummies:)


This recipe came from my friend Kelli. It's quick and simple and makes the house smell delicious!

All-Day Apple Butter


The necessarily long, slow-cooking process of apple butter makes it an
ideal candidate for the slow cooker. The apples are left unpeeled to
allow the pectin in the skin to help thicken the butter.

3 pounds cooking apples, such as Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, or Gala,
cored, left unpeeled, and cut into eighths
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup apple juice
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Combine the apples, brown sugar, apple juice, and lemon juice in a
4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the
apples are very soft.

2. Remove the lid, turn the heat setting to high, and stir in the
spices. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring once about
halfway through, if possible, until the mixture thickens.

3. Press the apples through a metal strainer into a large mixing bowl
to remove the peels, or process the apples through a food mill.

4. After cooling to room temperature, the apple butter may be stored,
tightly covered, in the refrigerator in clean jars, where it will keep
for several weeks.





Source: Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson

*Note: The recipe makes quite a bit of apple butter. I store mine in jars and, once cooled, place any that won't be eaten quickly, right in the freezer.

I think apple butter on toast, with a cup of cocoa, will be the perfect "after swimming lessons" snack tonight!