Maple Bourbon Apple Butter

You can always have this delicious condiment on hand. It will keep in the refrigerator up to a month or freeze for up to a year. It can be cooked on the stove or in a slow cooker.

Yields 2 cups

• 5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and rough chopped

• 2 T unsalted butter

• 1⁄3 c sugar

• 1⁄3 c brown sugar

• 1⁄2 t kosher salt

• 2 sticks cinnamon, or 2 t ground cinnamon

• 1 t pumpkin pie spice

• 1 T vanilla extract

• 2 T maple syrup

• 2 T bourbon

Slow Cooker Method: Add all ingredients, except the bourbon, to the bowl of a slow cooker. Mix well. Cook on low for about 9 hours, stirring a couple of times during cooking. During the last hour of cooking, add the bourbon and stir to combine. The apple butter should be thick and dark brown and the apple chunks very soft and or disintegrated.

Stove Top Method: Add all ingredients, except the bourbon, to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high and stir to combine. Once mixture reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for about 1-2 hours, depending on how hard your apples are. Open the pot and stir occasionally to ensure the apples are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. After 45 minutes of cooking, add the bourbon and stir to combine. The apple butter should be thick and dark brown and the apple chunks very soft and or disintegrated.

Use a blender to puree the apple butter until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 1 year.