Apple butter

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02
  
       Title: APPLE BUTTER
  Categories: Jelly/jam, Fruits, Crockpot
       Yield: 5 1/2 jars
  
      14    Apples; quartered, leave
            -skin on. I use Granny Smith
            -any tart firm apple will do
       2 c  Cider; sweet
       2 c  Sugar; to taste
   1 1/2 ts Cinnamon; more or less
            Lemon juice; optional
            -use if apples are too sweet
  
   1 use my large Crockpot for this recipe.
   
   1. Combine all ingredients and cook in high stirring
   occasionally for the first hour or so; covered. Then
   remove cover and turn down to low and stir
   occasionally. This is a slow process since you have
   NOT precooked the apples.  Will take 24 to 36 hours.
   But you have NEVER tasted anything so good. I think it
   is much better this way then precooking the apples. I
   usually stir in the skin every hour or so but this is
   not critical. You can cook during the night but I
   usually do not.
   
   2. If the skin on your apples refuses to break down,
   use a hand held blender and zap it a few times. If you
   don't have one of these wonderful gadgets, then zap in
   the food processor.
   
   CANNING:  You can process this in a water bath but I
   usually just keep it in the fridge; it never lasts
   that long. NOTE: The skin is the substance that makes
   it thick along with the evaporation of the water.
   Please try it with the lid of the Crockpot off. It is
   better than MUSSELMANS. The grandgirls say the house
   smells like Apple Pie and they love it with Peanut
   Butter on bread or over cottage cheese.  We always
   used to bring that back from PA. Now I think I'll take
   this down. I hope you all enjoy!!!
   
   SOURCE: A Jewish Mother's Cookbook; Author, Elaine
   Radis; published on disk by ONE COMMAND SOFTWARE, 1995.
  
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