From the Editor: Fall 2025

Last year or so, a woman reached out to the GOLDENSEAL office and inquired after a reliable slow cooker apple butter recipe. She had grown up making apple butter the old fashion way, taking turns stirring it down in a large kettle (which she still has) over an open fire, but wanted a more manageable recipe to share with her children and grandchildren— ‘You can’t easily stir apple butter over a big fire in the city.’ she said. 

After consulting with some family members, and reviewing a few recipes from the internet I endeavored to create and put to the test my own slow cooker apple butter recipe. If you take the time to make it, I do hope you enjoy it! An added bonus is the scent of apples and fall spices filling your house with a delicious aroma that will have you impatiently waiting for it to finish cooking. I canned my batch in half-pints and 4 oz. jars and gave them as gifts during the holidays.

I would like to add a few suggestions or tips. This is a general guide to making apple butter in a slow cooker. It can be adjusted to suit your desired yield, sweetness, spice, and consistency. Don’t be afraid to experiment if you prefer more cinnamon, or less cloves. Depending on the size of your apples and the amount you are cooking, it could take longer to cook down than the suggested time. According to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, softer apple varieties like our state’s own Golden Delicious, or Fuji, Cortland, and Braeburn will cook down faster than other varieties. The temperature range on every slow cooker varies, so the time it takes to cook down may be different for each person. Leaving the lid of the slow cooker cracked can help moisture/liquid escape as it cooks down, letting the mixture condense without gathering excess liquid. I leave a spoon propped under the lid to create a gap for steam to escape. If you make this, or if you have any tips of your own for slow cooker apple butter, let us know how it went!

Laiken Blankenship

Editor