• Place diced apples into slow cooker. Add sugars and salt to the apples and mix thoroughly.
• Place whole spices into cheesecloth and secure with string. Tuck spice sachet in the middle of the apples.
• Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
• Remove spice sachet.
• Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), puree all the apples until very smooth.
• Mix in vanilla extract.
• Continue cooking on low for the next 2 hours, but leave lid partially uncovered until consistency is to your liking.
• Makes 4 cups of apple butter.

Canning instructions

• Cleanse 4 8-oz mason canning jars thoroughly with soap and water.
• Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place mason jars in the boiling water along with lids; boil for 10 minutes. (It is ideal to use a rack at the bottom of your pot to prevent breakage, but is not required).
• Using a tongs, remove one mason jar along with lid, pouring any water inside the mason jar back into the pot.
• Fill the mason jar with hot apple butter leaving ¼ inch head-space. Screw lid onto the jar until you meet resistance; no need to over tighten.
• Using tongs, return apple butter filled mason jar to the boiling water. Repeat for remaining jars.
• Boil jars for at least 10 minutes (you may boil longer), and then remove jars to a cooling rack.
• As they cool, the lids should seal and you should no longer be able to push down on the indentation in the center of the lid. This is how you know your jars have been sealed properly.
• Canned jars of apple butter may be stored for up to 1 year.
• Once opened, it will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.