Step 1

Wash, peel, and core the apples. Cut them into quarters. There’s no need for peeling or finer chopping, as they break down nicely during cooking.

Step 2

Prep your slow cooker, Instant Pot, or heavy bottomed stock pot on the stove top.

Step 3

Add the apple chunks, sugars, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Stir well to ensure the apples are evenly coated.

Step 4

SLOW COOKER – Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat. Let the mixture cook for 6-8 hours, or until the apples are soft. INSTANT POT – Close the Instant Pot lid, set the vent to the sealing position, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure. STOVE TOP – Add about a half cup of water to the apples mixture before you start cooking. Cook on low heat, stirring regularly, until apples are soft, about 1-2 hours.

Step 5

Once your apples are soft, use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to puree the apples until smooth. If you don’t have a powered blender, mash with a potato masher.

Step 6

Continue cooking on low, uncovered, for an additional 1-2 hours to thicken the apple butter. If your Instant Pot has a simmer option, use that. Alternatively, transfer the apple mix to the stove top or crock pot to finish cooking. “Saute” tends to spatter, and “Keep Warm” doesn’t provide enough heat.

Step 7

Once the apple butter reaches the desired thickness, let it cool. Transfer it to clean, airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. The apple butter thickens as it cools.