I have a couple of apple trees in my yard. I needed something to do with the apples I nabbed before the worms and squirrels had their way with them plus some my oldest daughter brought me, courtesy a coworker. Apple Butter was at the top of my "Must Do One Day" list, and it appeared one day had arrived. I gave it a shot, tweaking a bit a slow-cooker recipe I'd found online, and was quite impressed with the results. This recipe is for a small batch but can easily be doubled, depending on how many apples you have to work with.

3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced about 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 to 1 tablespoon cinnamon, depending on taste

Place the apples, brown sugar, apple juice and lemon juice in slow cooker. Stir til apples are evenly coated. Cook on low 8-10 hours (or high 4-5 hours), until apples are relatively mushy. About three-quarters through cooking time, add cinnamon (can also add smidgens of nutmeg, ginger, cloves or allspice, if desired; I just like plain ol' cinnamon). Prop lid open slightly with a butter knife to allow steam to escape, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.

Once apples are good and mushy and mixture is a nice brown color, transfer mixture to a food processor, working in batches, depending on size of processor. Process the butter until desired consistency achieved. I like mine slightly thicker and not completely smooth, but you may want to process yours longer for a smoother result.

Transfer to containers, such as sterilized canning jars or freezer bags.

Three pounds of apples yielded about 20 ounces of apple butter, which filled three small gift-size canning jars, plus some.