I have read that you can make apple butter in a slow cooker. They used
to be called crock pots, but modern crock pots boil food, even on low,
so that you do not get poisoned eating improperly cooked beans, or ill
from undercooked meat.

Being outside the US, I was able to buy a Kenwood slow cooker, which on
low peaks at 180F. It takes 3-4 hours to reach that temperature, and
if full, stays there.

I have used it successfully to make dulche-de-leche, and want to use it to
make apple butter.

What I have read says to put apple sauce in the pot and cook it for 3 days.

I was wondering, because my pot is so big (about a gallon), can I place
cans of apple sauce in it, fill it with water and let it sit for 3 days?

Will this do the job?

If I am careful to dry the cans, so they don't rust, can I leave the Apple
sauce (hopefully now apple butter) in them? At room temperature?

Thanks in advance,

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

> I have read that you can make apple butter in a slow cooker. They used
> to be called crock pots, but modern crock pots boil food, even on low,
> so that you do not get poisoned eating improperly cooked beans, or ill
> from undercooked meat.

yep. i use the oven instead.


> Being outside the US, I was able to buy a Kenwood slow cooker, which on
> low peaks at 180F. It takes 3-4 hours to reach that temperature, and
> if full, stays there.
>
> I have used it successfully to make dulche-de-leche, and want to use it to
> make apple butter.
>
> What I have read says to put apple sauce in the pot and cook it for 3 days.
>
> I was wondering, because my pot is so big (about a gallon), can I place
> cans of apple sauce in it, fill it with water and let it sit for 3 days?
>
> Will this do the job?

i would use glass instead of metal. often
the cans will give things a metallic taste.

since the crock is likely ceramic i'd just
use that. the added surface area will make
the process go more quickly. i would imagine
that you do have the lid on during this time
to keep dust and other contaminants out.


> If I am careful to dry the cans, so they don't rust, can I leave the Apple
> sauce (hopefully now apple butter) in them? At room temperature?

after the apple butter is done you can
put it up using any approved method for
canning. which means if it is acidic enough
it can be done in a boiling water bath. if
not acidic enough you'll have to use pressure
canning to put it up safely. after it is
safely canned it can be stored at room
temperature until opened (after it is opened
it should be stored in the refrigerator).


songbird

Geoff, I can only recommend that you check out YouTube for 'Apple Butter
Recipes'. There are usually many good recipes there.

I would not recommend reusing the apple sauce cans though. It could
taint your apple butter during storage.

Good cooking!


--
Tango
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Tango wrote:
>
> Geoff, I can only recommend that you check out YouTube for 'Apple Butter
> Recipes'. There are usually many good recipes there.
>
> I would not recommend reusing the apple sauce cans though. It could
> taint your apple butter during storage.

Thanks, I wasn't clear, I wanted to cook the applesauce in the sealed
cans, with the outcome of apple butter in a still sealed can.

I meant to ask about storing the unopened cans.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)

songbird wrote:
> the process go more quickly. i would imagine
> that you do have the lid on during this time
> to keep dust and other contaminants out.

Thanks. The problem is that the crock is about a gallon, and I want to
do small amounts.

I wasn't clear. I intended to ask about leaving the cans unopened.
I assume they would still stay sealed.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)

On 11/20/2012 9:39 AM, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> songbird wrote:
>> the process go more quickly. i would imagine
>> that you do have the lid on during this time
>> to keep dust and other contaminants out.
>
> Thanks. The problem is that the crock is about a gallon, and I want to
> do small amounts.
>
> I wasn't clear. I intended to ask about leaving the cans unopened.
> I assume they would still stay sealed.
>
> Geoff.
>
They will also explode. Heating a sealed can is dangerous. Pressure
can build up in the can, possibly turning it into a grenade.

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> songbird wrote:

>> the process go more quickly. i would imagine
>> that you do have the lid on during this time
>> to keep dust and other contaminants out.
>
> Thanks. The problem is that the crock is about a gallon, and I want to
> do small amounts.

even better in that the added surface area
gets rid of the extra moisture faster.


> I wasn't clear. I intended to ask about leaving the cans unopened.
> I assume they would still stay sealed.

oh, no that wouldn't work as the
apple butter idea is to cook it down
(getting rid of extra water) and add
spices, etc. in a sealed can that
won't happen. besides the otherwise
noted risk of exploding cans.

if you are taking canned apple sauce
and using it for making apple butter i
think for the effort/price you are better
off just buying apple butter. it tends
to be one of the cheapest in the jams/
jellies/etc section at the store.

i thought you were talking about
putting up your own apples/apple sauce/
apple butter.


songbird

songbird wrote:
> think for the effort/price you are better
> off just buying apple butter. it tends
> to be one of the cheapest in the jams/
> jellies/etc section at the store.

Thanks, again I was not clear. :-(

I mentioned off hand that I was not in the US, when I commented on the
slow cooker model, I'm in Israel where Apple Butter is nonexistant.

Geoff.


--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
>
> Thanks, I wasn't clear, I wanted to cook the applesauce in the sealed
> cans, with the outcome of apple butter in a still sealed can.
>
> I meant to ask about storing the unopened cans.

Delche de leche can be made inside unsealed cans by cooking them in a
slow cooker. I do not believe it will work for converting apple sauce
into apple butter.

Last year we made apple sauce and apple butter in a slow cooker directly
from apples. Core, skin and dice apples to fill the crock. Cook to
reduce and refill. Cook over night and the result is apple sauce. Can
them using the big boiling canning set up. To make apple butter instead
of cooking over night we turned the lid a little to let steam escape
and cooked all of that day. Enough water evaporated to reduce the apple
sauce to apple butter.

Some of the additional cooking process would have caramelized the sugar
in the apples the way flan is made inside a can of condensed milk but I
think most of it was allowing the extra water to evaporate.

Doug Freyburger wrote:
>
> Last year we made apple sauce and apple butter in a slow cooker directly
> from apples. Core, skin and dice apples to fill the crock. Cook to
> reduce and refill. Cook over night and the result is apple sauce. Can
> them using the big boiling canning set up. To make apple butter instead
> of cooking over night we turned the lid a little to let steam escape
> and cooked all of that day. Enough water evaporated to reduce the apple
> sauce to apple butter.
>
> Some of the additional cooking process would have caramelized the sugar
> in the apples the way flan is made inside a can of condensed milk but I
> think most of it was allowing the extra water to evaporate.

Thanks, Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> songbird wrote:

>> think for the effort/price you are better
>> off just buying apple butter. it tends
>> to be one of the cheapest in the jams/
>> jellies/etc section at the store.
>
> Thanks, again I was not clear. :-(
>
> I mentioned off hand that I was not in the US, when I commented on the
> slow cooker model, I'm in Israel where Apple Butter is nonexistant.

ok, well, good luck.


songbird