Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (8 page)

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1. Mix together all ingredients except apples in saucepan. Bring to boil.

2. Pour into slow cooker. Set on Low.

Serving suggestion: Dip fresh
apple slices
into hot caramel.

Variation:

Add ½ cup peanut butter to dip.

Rhonda’s Apple Butter

Rhonda Burgoon

Collingswood, NJ

Makes about 2 pints apple butter

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12-14 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 2½- to 3-qt.

4 lbs. apples

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

1. Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours. Reduce to Low and cook 8 hours. Apples should be a rich brown and be cooked down by half.

3. Stir in spices. Cook on High 2-3 hours with lid off. Stir until smooth.

4. Pour into freezer containers and freeze, or into sterilized jars and seal.

Shirley’s Apple Butter

Shirley Sears

Tiskilwa, IL

Makes 6-10 pints apple butter

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 13-15 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 7-qt.

4 qts. finely chopped tart apples

2¾ cups sugar

2¾ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

⅛ tsp. salt

1. Pour apples into slow cooker.

2. Combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle over apples.

3. Cover. Cook on High 3 hours, stirring well with a large spoon every hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook 10-12 hours, until butter becomes thick and dark in color. Stir occasionally with strong wire whisk for smooth butter.

4. Freeze or pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Charlotte’s Apple Butter

Charlotte Fry

St. Charles, MO

Makes 5 pints apple butter

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 14-18 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 6- to 6½-qt.

3 quarts Jonathan,
or
Winesap, apples

2 cups apple cider

2½ cups sugar

1 tsp. star anise,
optional

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks

1. Peel, core, and chop apples. Combine with apple cider in large slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours.

3. Stir in sugar, star anise if you wish, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks.

4. Cover. Cook on High 2 hours. Stir. Remove lid and cook on High 2-4 hours more, until thickened.

5. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Dolores’ Apple Butter

Dolores Metzler

Mechanicsburg, PA

Makes 3 quarts apple butter

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5½- to 6-qt.

3 quarts unsweetened applesauce

3 cups sugar (
or
sweeten to taste)

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp.,
or
less, ground cloves

1. Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on High 8-10 hours. Remove lid during last 4 hours. Stir occasionally.

Lilli’s Apple Butter

Lilli Peters

Dodge City, KS

Makes about 2 pints apple butter

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 14-15 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

7 cups unsweetened applesauce

2 cups apple cider

1½ cups honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. allspice

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well with whisk.

2. Cook on Low 14-15 hours.

Peach or Apricot Butter

Charlotte Shaffer

East Earl, PA

Makes 6 8-oz. jars butter

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

4 29-oz. cans peaches,
or
apricots

2¾-3 cups sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1. Drain fruit. Remove pits. Purée in blender. Pour into slow cooker.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Cover. Cook on High 8-10 hours. Remove cover during last half of cooking. Stir occasionally.

Note:

Spread on bread, or use as a topping for ice cream or toasted pound cake.

Pear Butter

Dorothy Miller

Gulfport, MI

Makes 6 pints pear butter

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

8 cups pear sauce

3 cups brown sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on High 10-12 hours.

Note:

To make pear sauce, peel, core, and slice 12 large pears. Place in slow cooker with ¾ cup water. Cover and cook on Low 8-10 hours, or until very soft. Stir to blend.