Spiced Apple and Pear Butter

The plethora of apples and pears continue! Instead of making apple jelly or pear preserves, this time I decided to make a combination of apple and pear butter. I can't wait to to sample this butter spread on hot biscuits at breakfast. The ginger adds a nice spiciness to the butter and blending the flavors of the apples AND pears is delicious.

And no standing over a hot stove, stirring for hours either. Get out the crock pot and let it do the work for you.

This recipe made 5 pints for me. Depending on the size of your apples and/or pears, you may have a little more or a little less.

12 medium pears, peeled, cored and chopped

12 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

3 cups light brown sugar

2 cups apple juice

3 whole cinnamon sticks

1 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. ground ginger

1 t. ground allspice

Add all ingredients to the crock pot and stir to combine. Put on the lid and set to low.

Let apples cook for 6 - 8 hours. Every hour or so, stir the mixture. This picture was taken about half way through the cooking process.

At the end of the cooking time, remove the cinnamon sticks. I used an immersion blender to get the mixture blended very smooth. You could also use a regular blender, working in batches. Or you could actually use a potato masher if you want to leave some texture.

Ladle the mixture into sterilized pint canning jars. Wipe the rims clean and add the lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool in a non-drafty spot. Listen for the "ping" as the jars seal as they cool. Refrigerate any jars that don't seal.