APPLE-PUMPKIN BUTTER (SLOW COOKER)

 I often see recipes that call for a fruit butter (usually apple) and I see it in stores to buy. I even made some apple butter that my friends swear by, but I didn't like the results of mine. So it's not surprising that I would find recipes again this fall for it. The thing that was different this time is I also found a recipe to make your own that sounded okay. I changed the recipe to cook in the slow cooker and I am happy I did.

The day I decided to make it I got everything in the slow cooker and waited around the house for it to cook before running some errands. At the end of the hour and a half the apple wasn't cooked. THEN the power went off. Spectrum was digging a hole in the neighborhood and cut the line. It was off 4 hours. Ruined my plans for the afternoon since I couldn't get the car out of the garage so I fell asleep for a couple of hours. 

The power came back on, I woke up, and Wayne got home from playing golf all within 15 minutes. I felt in a fog so we went out to run a few of my errands and got something to eat. I forgot about the butter cooking again in the slow cooker. By the time we came back home the apples had cooked and the house smelt so good. So I really have to guess about how long it cooked...maybe 3-4 hours on LOW.

APPLE-PUMPKIN BUTTER

1-3/4   cups canned pumpkin (I used a 15 ounce can)

1         cup apple, peeled, cored, and grated (I used almost 3 small Granny Smith apples)

1         cup apple juice

1/2      cup brown sugar, packed

3/4      teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan

and

bring to a boil. (I did do this just to speed up the process. While this was happening, I preheated my small slow cooker to HIGH) I cooked mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes in slow cooker on HIGH before lowering the temperature to LOW.)

Cook on LOW in slow cooker until thick and apples have cooked about 3 - 4 hours. (Read notes above.)

Cool 

and store in refrigerator til needed.

(I didn't seal the butter in the jars, but just filled almost 2 pint jars with mixture to use in recipes that called for apple butter or on

I will be sharing some of the recipes I have made using it in the next couple of days.