As soon as I have made applesauce, I’m thinking about apple butter: thick, silky, and fragrant with spices.
The old-fashioned way to make it involves a big fire, a huge kettle, and a community of people willing to take turns to stir the pot all day long. I’m glad I make mine in smaller quantities, and with a much, much easier method: I use a slow cooker (crockpot), which means I hardly have to stir at all.
Once finished, the apple butter gets packed into jars, and processed in a boiling waterbath canner for long storage.
