Slow-Cooker Apple Butter with Fetters Fruit Farm Apples

Here are a few facts: I have had apple butter before, but only at fairs and in weird situations. I also purchased a tiny slow cooker from Target about a year and a half ago and never used it. These two facts meant only one thing: I was making apple butter this weekend.

Of course, it wasn't that simple - mainly because I had no idea what was in apple butter. I just assumed it would be full of ingredients and I'd have to go shopping and it would be a big pain. I was completely wrong. It turns out that all I needed to do in order to make apple butter was go buy some apples; everything else I needed was already in the pantry.

As I live in Leesburg, I generally visit the Leesburg farmer's market every Saturday. Not only do I get food for this column, but I stock up on local produce for the week. This weekend, however, I decided to do something I've been meaning to do for months, so I headed down to the Sunday Brambleton farmer's market.

For those of you who haven't been, the Brambleton farmer's market is located near the FOX movie theater. It has some of the same vendors as Leesburg, but it has different ones as well. It was from one of these that I bought my apples for apple butter.

Fetters Fruit Farm sells a large variety of apples right now at Brambleton, including the Jonagored apple. I had never heard of it, but they said it was sweet with a hint of tartness, so it sounded good for my apple butter. Fetters also sells pastries, honey, and other fruit. In addition to my apples, I picked up some honey and pumpkin whoopie pies.

After I brought my bounty home, making the apple butter was simple. My only suggestion is that you start it in the morning, something that I, as a slow-cooker novice did not do. This is an eleven-hour process, perfect for a lazy Sunday. As a bonus, it makes your whole house smell delicious!

Slow-Cooker Apple Butter with Fetters Fruit Farm Apples

• 14 Fetters Fruit Farm Apples
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp cloves

Chop the apples up into cubes and put in the slow cooker. Add the apple juice and cook on high for five hours, stirring every hour. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cook on high for six hours, stirring every hour.

Store apple butter in an air-tight container; serve on ciabatta, bagels, crackers, or whatever else sounds delicious. Makes a great, inexpensive holiday gift!