Cranberry butter is becoming a staple in my household. This Cranapple Butter is just what it says- apples and cranberries to make a slightly less tart fruit butter.
I use this on baked ham, roast chicken, turkey and best of all… turkey sandwiches using leftover turkey!
Check out the ultimate leftover turkey sandwich using Cranberry Walnut Bread, white turkey breast meat and cranberry sauce or butter….
The picture shows jellied cranberry sauce but Cranapple Butter is equally as good!
It is also a great candidate for topping scones. The scones are these Cranberry Orange Scones.
I had an extra bag of fresh cranberries after Thanksgiving and it was time to turn my attention to the annual cranberrry butter. I often make Pear Cranberry Butter but I also had a bag of apples in my crisper that I wanted to use. They were a bit too soft in texture for my liking as an eating apple so I thought making a fruit butter with them would be perfect.
You can use any apple variety you like though because by the time they go through the slow cooker and the blender they will all give you the texture you want.
As for the cranberries you can use fresh or frozen.
The cook time on this is about 6 hours but it is hands off time so just add your ingredients and walk away!
Storing CranApple Butter
This makes about 2 1/2 cups. So you have options for storing it. Start with clean, sterilized jars (20 minutes in the oven at 275 degrees will do it). Soften canning jar lids in boiling water for 5 minutes just before you are ready to fill the jars.
Pour the hot fruit butter into the hot jars, center the lids and screw the bands on finger tight.
If you want them to be shelf stable you will need to water bath them. See the instructions below.
Storing in Refrigerator or Freezer
Allow closed jars to sit overnight at room temperature to cool and seal. In the morning remove the screw band and carefully lift the jar just by holding the edge of the lid.
If it is not sealed, close up, refrigerate and use within a month. If the jars are sealed you can store in the fridge upto 3 months, or freeze upto a year. In theory there is nothing unsafe about freezing longer but some suggest the taste or texture will deteriorate. (I personally, have not found this to be an issue.)
Water Bath Instructions
While jam is thickening, bring the water in your canning pot to a boil. You should have enough water to cover your jars by at least an inch. Submerge your lids in another container of boiling water for 5 minutes just before you are ready to fill your jars.
Use tongs to remove jars from the oven and fill sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife up and down the side to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the top rim of the jar clean with a vinegar dipped paper towel. Position lid carefully and tighten screw band just until finger tight.
Use the tongs to transfer the filled jars of jam to the canning pot (with the rack in the bottom). Water should cover the jars by 1-2″. Bring water to a rolling boil and process the jars for 10 minutes from the time the water reaches the boiling point.
Remove jars carefeully with the tongs and set on a clean towel or hot pad. Allow jars to sit overnight. You will hear pops as the lids seal. In the morning, remove the screw bands and check that the lids are sealed. The lid should be concave in the middle and you should be able to lift the jar just by holding the lid. Wipe the jar top and threads clean. You can store the jam without the screw bands to avoid rusting the screw bands. Add the bands back when you open the jam or gift it.
Crockpot CranApple Butter
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- blender high speed is best
- 10 quarter pint jars or
- 5 pint jars with sealable lids
- canning pot optional
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples
- 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 Tbsps honey optional
Instructions
- Wash and core apples. No need to peel them. Cut them in chunks and add to the slow cooker.
- Rinse the cranberries and add to the crockpot. Add the cinnamon stick. Stir and cook the mixture, covered, on high for 4 hours. Stir occasionally.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and puree the mixture in a high speed blender. You may have to work in 2 batches. It is best if you have a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Ninja. This will give you a silky texture.
- If you see bits of peel in the texture you may choose to press the mixture through a sieve with the back of a spoon.
- Rinse out the crockpot and return the mixture to the pot. Add the honey if using. Cook on high uncovered for another 2 hours.
- During last hour of cooking prepare your jars and lids and water bath if using. Sterilize clean jars in a 275° oven for 20 minutes. Prepare a container of boiling water that you can submerge the lids in for 5 minutes just before closing up the jars. If using a water bath, heat water in your canner.
- Pour hot mixture in to hot jars. Leave 1/4" headspace. Clean the rim of the jar. Position lids and screw on bands until finger tight. If storing in fridge or freezer skip the cannin step below.
- If water bathing, submerge jars in your canner by an inch or two. Bring water to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow jars to sit a few moments before removing them with tongs to a clean towel.
- Allow hot filled jars to cool to room temperature (this may take 8 hours or so or overnight). Remove screw bands and check that the lids are sealed. Sealed jars will keep up to 3 months in the fridge, up to a year in the freezer or a year on the shelf if water bathed. Note: if any jars did not seal transfer them to fridge transfer them to fridge and use within a month.
Notes
Nutrition
