Meal: Jams & Preserves

Crockpot Lacto-Fermented Pear Butter

Thanks to generous friends, we had a pile of pears in our kitchen waiting to be used. My husband suggested subbing in pears in our standard apple butter recipe. We tried it and loved it. It smells just like fall!

Wash, core, and quarter the pears. Place in slow cooker and add water, cinnamon and ginger. Cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until the pears are soft.
When pears are soft, puree the apple mixture in the slow cooker using an immersion blender. (Alternately, you could transfer in batches to a stand blender.) Continue cooking on low in the slow cooker with the lid off until it reaches the desired consistency, usually about 1-2 hours.
Allow to cool, then stir in 2 T. of whey. Put into jars. Leave at room temperature for 24-48 hours before transferring to the refrigerator.
* This should keep for at least 2 months in the refrigerator.

Crockpot Lacto-Fermented Apple Butter

This is so easy and makes your kitchen smell delicious! It requires very little hands-on time and tastes just like Grandma’s apple butter.

Wash, core, and quarter the apples. Place in slow cooker and add water and cinnamon. Cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until the apples are soft.
When apples are soft, puree the apple mixture in the slow cooker using an immersion blender. (Alternately, you could transfer in batches to a stand blender.) Continue cooking on low in the slow cooker with the lid off until it reaches the desired consistency, usually about 1-2 hours.
Allow to cool, then stir in 2 T. of whey. Put into jars. Leave at room temperature for 24-48 hours before transferring to the refrigerator.
*This should keep for at least 2 months in the refrigerator. I’ve also frozen it both before and after lacto-fermenting with great results. Just thaw in the refrigerator overnight.