Homemade Cranberry Apple Butter
Even when I was young and first started canning, I never was the type of home canner that would process enough food to create huge stores of goods in my basement; I’ve always loved doing small batches. I’m no longer into filling 50 containers each of tomatoes or pickles but I still love making jam, preserves and butters. I’ve even commandeered some neighbors into my ventures and this Homemade Cranberry Apple Butter is a crowd favorite.
I’ve always loved apple butter but now that I’m making my own I like to mix them up. I’ve experimented a bit too and while I still have apple butter love, a few years ago, pumpkin butter as added to the list of must haves. Still…none compare to how much I love this Homemade Cranberry Apple Butter. It’s delicious and so perfectly pretty…a great homemade holiday gift!
I cannot deny that I am pretty passionate about cranberries. I love making festive cocktails with the berries, find nothing much more beautiful sugared berries on a holiday cake and there is always homemade cranberry sauce. I like to fiddle with a new cranberry sauce recipe every year, although this Bourbon, Brown Sugar and Orange Cranberry Sauce is probably my favorite. {Each year I make something new and it becomes my NEW favorite!).
Still, this one is my perennial winner. It’s easy and pretty and unique enough that friends and family always love receiving a jar tucked into their holiday food baskets. Make sure you grab some cranberries on your next run to the grocery store and make this Homemade Cranberry Apple Butter. It’s easy, can be made without a lot of fancy equipment and is just SO dang good!
Homemade Cranberry Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 3 pounds cooking apples cored and cut into chunks
- 12 ounce bag of cranberries rinsed
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Combine the apple chunks, cranberries, and cider in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the apples are soft and the cranberries have started to burst (about 15 – 20 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
- Ladle the mixture into a food mill and puree. All of the apple and cranberry skins will be left behind. Transfer the puree to a slow cooker. Add the brown sugar to the puree. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Stir in the seeds and the two halves of the vanilla bean along with the cinnamon and ginger.
- Cook on low heat in a slow cooker for 8-12 hours, only partially covered. The mixture will reduce down and thicken. Remove the vanilla beans and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to canning jars or airtight containers and refrigerate.
Hi there. Can this be done with an emersion blender and if so, how do I separate from the peelings?
If you are using an immersion blender, I would suggest you peel the apples before cooking them. The cranberries will be fine blended in whole with the immersion blender.
I would like to make this. About how many cups does it yield?
where is the recipe for cranberry apple butter ???just get the recipe for the bread
I’m working on it…I had both on the same page but my software messed them up and only displayed the bread. I just created a new page for the butter and am trying to find my recipe in the database RIGHT NOW! I’ll let you know when I get it done.
you did what on the stove top???? have no idea what you are talking about. I just want the recipe
Whoa…I was trying politely to advise that I had run into a problem. Just a reminder, I don’t work for you and I provide this work for free. Getting snitty with me seems a bit untoward.