Crockpot Apple Butter

I love fall! Living in Phoenix, we get the delayed pleasure of brisk mornings, crackling fires, and cozy sweaters. Autumn flirts with us for about a month, before it finally kisses the city with delicious cool weather. Until then, people in the valley buy Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and drink Apple Cider in tank tops and flip flops, waiting with great anticipation until the fulness of the season arrives. :)

As for me, I am on a similar track, trying to bring the sensational aromas and tastes of fall into my home, patiently waiting for my favorite season to stop and sit a while. :) Yesterday I noticed that I had a lot of apples to use, along with a couple of ripe delicious pears. I had already put it in my mind to make apple butter and had pinned a couple of tantalizing recipes on my Pinterest board. So, I took a look at a few, and then decided to make up my own recipe, including all of my favorite spices beyond cinnamon and cloves.

The result is divine! All night I slept with the heavenly aromas of apples, cinnamon and exotic spices swirling through the air. In the morning I blended the yummy brown apples, and put it in mason jars for my family and friends. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
12 of your favorite kind of apples (or a mixture of apples and pears)
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of real maple syrup
2 cups of apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup of Bragg's Apple cider vinegar
1 tspn of kosher salt
**Optional** 1/4 cup of rum, brandy, or vanilla vodka (the alcohol completely cooks out, but gives it an amazing flavor)

Spices:
4 pieces of  cinnamon (i had the added bonus of using cinnamon from Ethiopia!)
1 star anise
1/2 tspn anise seeds
2 cardamom pods
1 tspn of whole cloves

Directions:
1. Cut and core apples into big chunks. Place them in the crockpot.
2. Take all of your spices and grind them for 30 seconds in a clean coffee grinder. Add to the crockpot.
3. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and optional alcohol. 
4. Set your crockpot on low for 18 hours and stir occasionally. Your home will smell like a fall heaven!!!
5. In the morning you will notice that the apples are brown and condensed into a lovely mixture waiting for you to blend. You can use an immersion blender, or a regular strong blender. I used my Blendtec, and it did a great job.
6. Divide it into mason jars, seal, let it cool, refrigerate and enjoy! This should make plenty for your own family, and a few jars left over to bless people.

Happy Fall!