Apple butter that is free of sugar in a jar is the quintessential autumnal treat that is nice for making any dish look delectable and delicious. Nothing else compares! You can prepare it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, but the electric pressure cooker featured on the Instant Pot brand of kitchen appliances is my go-to choice for a speedy and straightforward preparation method. Making this easy-to-follow recipe for apple butter won't keep you busy for the better part of the day, and it turns out delicious every time. Apple butter is essentially homemade apple sauce that has been reduced, thickened, and given a slightly caramelized flavor. The sauté function of the Instant Pot helps to thicken the apple mixture while the pressure cooker's quick-cooking mode ensures that the apples are cooked thoroughly. The best part is that the apples do not need to be peeled; their skins disintegrate almost entirely into the sauce, which is a significant time saver. The second best part is that the sauce is delicious. This also ensures that the apple skins maintain their full complement of fiber and other beneficial micronutrients. After chopping the apples, you put them in a pot with a little water and some spices and cook them until they become saucy and fall apart. After that, you puree them, put the sauce back in the saucepan, and keep cooking it so that the apple flavor becomes more concentrated. 
The apple butter that is produced as a result is deliciously sweet and sour, silky smooth, and fragrant from the spices. At the beginning of each autumn, there is a brief period of time during which enormous, breathtaking piles of apples in a variety of colors appear to cast a shadow over virtually everything else that is sold at the farmers market. When the sun is still bright, but the air is brisk and the apples have a particularly pleasant aroma, it is at this precise moment in time that you become aware that you are almost completely prepared to make the switch to the following season. You can spread your homemade apple butter on toast, muffins, pancakes, or oatmeal for a delicious breakfast, or you can just eat it with a spoonful as a tasty treat. Additionally, it has a wonderful flavor when combined with savory dishes such as baked tofu, roasted pork, or roasted chicken. The process of cooking apples with water, spices, and sugar results in the production of both apple butter and applesauce. The apple butter is made by cooking the apples for a longer period of time, which causes the mixture to thicken and become caramelized. This is the primary distinction between the two. The texture of applesauce is similar to that of soft and creamy desserts, but its consistency is typically waterier and more lightweight. 
Apple butter, on the other hand, is typically flavored with a variety of different spices, including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla, amongst others. This is an additional distinction between the two. Applesauce is typically unflavored, but you may occasionally find some with cinnamon mixed in. However, most of the time, apple sauce is just plain. After peeling, coring, and chopping the apples (to save time, I used this convenient apple slicer), put the apple pieces in the bowl of your slow cooker. After adding the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, as well as the water, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and cook the mixture for about six hours, or until the apples are soft enough to be easily broken apart and mashed with a fork. Utilize a blender with a separate immersion arm to puree the cooked apples before using them to make applesauce. (If you decided to peel your apples, all you need is a fork or a potato masher to break the apples down into smaller pieces.) You could stop here and enjoy this delectably spiced applesauce, but in order to make apple butter, you will need to continue to cook it down until it is thick. Cover the pot with the lid, making sure to leave a vent for the steam to escape, and set the slow cooker to cook on low for another 6 to 8 hours, or until the applesauce has reduced by nearly half. Alternatively, you could heat the applesauce on high for 45 minutes, then reduce the heat to low to speed up the process. 
If you choose to do this, be sure not to leave it on high for too long, or you run the risk of the apples on the bottom of the pan becoming burned. (I cooked mine in the VitaClay for 45 minutes on the "stew" setting, which is high heat; then I transferred the applesauce to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat to finish the thickening process, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning.) After the apple butter has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a glass jar and place it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. (You can even freeze any leftovers to keep them fresh for even longer!) You could spread the apple butter on your favorite toast, pancakes, meats, or salads, or you could simply eat it with a spoonful. In order to successfully complete this recipe with apples, peeling them is not required. Simply keep in mind that the apple peels will be incorporated into the apple mixture even if you leave them on. To clarify, apple cider is a different product than apple cider vinegar, so please keep that in mind if you decide to use apple cider. During the fall and winter months, apple cider is typically sold in the refrigerated beverage section of most grocery stores. Apple cider does not contain any alcohol and is therefore a suitable beverage choice for children. To get the most out of this recipe, look for apples that are as sweet as you possibly can get your hands on. I like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. It is not recommended to use sour apples because the finished product will not be sweet enough. Apple butter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week after it has been made. Another option is to place the apple butter in the freezer for a period of up to two months. 
There is no specific type of apple required. If you have some things that you really enjoy, you should choose those. Apples of both the Fuji and Honeycrisp varieties are what I use in this recipe. I think it would be best to use a few different kinds so that the spread would have hints of a number of different flavors. Apple butter can also be made from Red Delicious and Gala apples, which are both very popular varieties. Should you so desire, you are free to keep the apple skins on the fruit. Keeping the skin on the body provides numerous health benefits due to the abundance of nutrients that are contained within it. Peeling the butter makes it much simpler for me to get it into a creamy state. This is entirely a matter of personal preference.
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