Crockpot Apple Butter

Sometimes you find a place that speaks to you and wraps itself around your heart ... Vermont is such a place to us. Fifteen years ago we came for a visit in the middle of summer when the land and the mountains were covered with a lush green that soothed the eye and the soul. The wild flowers were in bloom in colors that only nature could perfect and the air was clean and clear and it was easy to believe that this was indeed God's country.


Who knew that those mountains would hold me in their grasp? There I was -- a child of a tropical island -- of hot sand and cool breezes, mesmerized by this land that spoke to something in me. Was it the memories of my Scottish ancestors within me that recognized this place or was it the memories of my English ancestors from the gently rolling hills of Devon?

It was a call too loud to ignore and we have bought a condo in Newport Center and land in Derby where we hope to someday build our home. And on that land are apple trees as nature intended them to be, producing apples that are small and not very pretty but are nonetheless edible and pesticide free. They screamed to be made into apple butter.

There are two kinds of apples on the Derby land ... one that is red and sweet and the other yellow with a slightly tart bite to it. That is the one that I thought would make the better apple butter.

3 lb. apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup fresh apple cider
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. all spice
1/2 tsp. cloves
Dash of salt

1. Fill a crockpot with the apples. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on low setting overnight or until apple butter is thick and speadable.

2. If apple butter has too much liquid, remove lid and cook until it is of the desired consistency.

3. To can: sterilize jars, fill to 3/4 full, put lids on and place jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and place on racks to cool ... you will hear a pinging sound as the jars seal themselves.

4. Yields 7 1/2 pint jars of apple butter.