One of my favorite fall recipes has always been a great apple butter recipe. I also love my Instant Pot. A good apple butter reminds me of cooler days enjoying it on biscuits with my Dad as a kid. It can take so long to make a batch though so when I’m ready to start canning apple butter each year, I make this Instant Pot apple butter instead!
This Instant Pot apple butter recipe is perfect for toast or biscuits. It’s packed full of flavor without the harder work that a crock-pot apple butter recipe or stove top apple butter recipe sometimes includes.
It also takes a pork loin to the next level!
I also like to spread it on pancakes for a treat or to use it as an ice cream topping. Yum!
Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe
Once the apples are peeled, it’s just a matter of adding the spices and processing in your Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot brand pressure cooker, no worries. Any brand will do.
Can I Can Food in My Instant Pot?
The answer to “can I can food in an electric pressure cooker” is both yes and no.
Technically you could. After all, all canning food really does is heat the food to a super high temperature and heat seal the jar.
However, in order to safely can food in an Instant Pot, you would need to be able to make sure that it reaches a minimum of 15 PSI (pounds of pressure per square inch).
With an electric pressure cooker, you have no way to tell what the pressure is. The number on your pressure gauge for your electric pressure cooker is not the same PSI as you get with a manual pressure canner/cooker.
“I know all that, but is it safe to can in an electric pressure cooker?”
If you are wanting to pressure can in an Instant Pot, the answer is no. It is not safe at all since you can not control or even see where your PSI is.
Even Instant Pot themselves say it is not safe to pressure can in an Instant Pot.
However, if you are wanting to water bath can in your Instant Pot, that is safe with one caveat.
If your pressure cooker will boil water and keep it at a rolling boil, you will be able to can small batch water bath canning recipes.
If the boil drops off, you can not safely can in it and must reprocess what you are trying to preserve.
Apple Butter for Canning Recipe
When you make this recipe for apple butter in Instant Pot, you don’t have to can it. You absolutely can just toss it in the fridge and eat it fresh.
However, if you’re looking for an apple butter for canning recipe, it works extremely well!
Let me show you how easy this Instant Pot apple butter for canning is to make!
Canning Apple Butter Recipe
You Will Need:
- 5 1/2-6 pounds apples (about 12 to 16 medium)
- 1/4-1/2 cup water or apple cider
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. cloves
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 3 Pint Canning Jars or 6 Half-Pint Jars
- Canning Lids and Rings
- Water Bath Canner or a very large pot
To start making your Instant Pot apple butter, use a vegetable and fruit wash to wash your apples. Be sure to leave the peels on so you get some of the natural pectin in apples to help it thicken later on.
Then, using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the apples into slices around the core.
Don’t toss the apple cores! You can use them to make apple scrap jelly or remove the seeds and toss them in your compost pile!
Add the apples and the liquid to your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release.
After the pressure has released naturally, add the seasonings to the apples and puree them using a stick blender.
Alternatively, you can also place the ingredients in a blender then put them back in the pot.
Once you have pureed the apples and seasonings for your pressure cooker apple butter, turn your cooker to the saute’ setting and adjust the heating from high to low.
How to Thicken Apple Butter in the Instant Pot
Saute’ the apple butter on low for 15-20 minutes making sure to stir occasionally until it reaches a thickness you’re happy with.
If it becomes too thick, you can add a bit more water or cider/juice to get it where you really want it.
This step is really important for making apple butter. Apple butter that isn’t thickened is called applesauce. 😉
How to Can Apple Butter
After your Instant Pot apple butter for canning is finished, ladle the finished product into your hot canning jars.
Make sure to leave 1/4″ head space at the top of your jar.
Side Note: Not sure what head space is when canning? Head over HERE to learn the basics of how to can food.
Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and add your lid and ring to fingertip tight.
Place in your water bath canner (or your Instant Pot if you’re water bath canning in it) and add water until there is 1″ of water above the jars.
Process 10 minutes for half-pint and pint jars.
A Final Word About This Canning Apple Butter Recipe
See? Learning how to make apple butter in the Instant Pot for canning isn’t hard! In fact, it’s pretty easy!
I do want to mention one thing real quick; if you have never water bath canned food before, the processing time begins when your water is at a rolling boil. Not when you add the jars to the water.
Making sure your foods are processed correctly is the only way to safely can!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy:
- 16 Canning Safety Tips You Should Know
- Homemade Orange Marmalade Recipe
- 27 Must Have Canning Supplies for Beginners Learning How to Can Food
- Homemade Apple Pie Recipe With a Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
- 35 Instant Pot Side Dish and Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe
- Corn Cob Jelly Canning Recipe
Instant Pot Apple Butter + How to Can Apple Butter
This Instant Pot apple butter is the taste of fall in a jar! Eat it fresh or use the apple butter canning recipe to preserve it for later!
- 5.5-6 pounds apples (about 12 to 16 medium)<br /><br />
- 1/4-1/2 cup water or <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/White-House-Foods-Pressed-Gallon/dp/B00C2DG0MK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=apple+cider&qid=1564184768&s=gateway&sr=8-8&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=7c605202dea49cee7add73f9e1f37a05&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>apple cider</strong></a><br /><br />
- 1/4 c <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Domino-Sugar-Granulated-10-Pound-Bags/dp/B00060N5OW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=granulated+sugar&qid=1564184976&s=gateway&sr=8-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=95f9375e4ec8e8b1a8e420b993235e95&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>white sugar</strong></a><br /><br />
- 1/4 c <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Lovesome-Light-Brown-Sugar-Pound/dp/B079WPRZX4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=brown+sugar&qid=1564185107&s=pantry&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQVBNS1lES0lNRTM1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjU5MjA5Vk9GTkQ1WEhaM0FMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0OTIzMTYyVE9GSUNKSDAxOEhHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=6be2c27f5016e47d635a8c294e6b8c28&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>light brown sugar</strong></a><br /><br />
- 1/2 tsp <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Ground-Cinnamon-18-oz/dp/B001PQREKM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=cinnamon&qid=1564185197&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=d7c39ba41028fcc071e8dfde3bf1a394&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>cinnamon</strong></a><br /><br />
- 1/8 tsp <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Gourmet-Organic-Ground-Cloves/dp/B002HQIKAW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=ground+cloves&qid=1564185373&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=6b16d100c867e3d0d1866920491db8a9&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>cloves</strong></a><br /><br />
- 1/8 tsp <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/365-Everyday-Value-Organic-Nutmeg/dp/B075M4KBQ8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=nutmeg&qid=1564185751&s=pantry&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyS1RaNzhXSlkyVTZSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzY1NjkyM1FKQ1BFUjAzQjBTQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTE1MjgyMUdWOVAwNU1PWEs2MiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=&linkCode=ll1&tag=sixdollarfamily-20&linkId=efe7b54374997df4b5a513b907c8006a&language=en_US” rel=”nofollow”><strong>nutmeg</strong></a><br /><br />
Wash apples then slice leaving peel on.
Cook on high pressure in Instant Pot for 20 minutes.
Let pressure do a natural release
Add seasonings and puree apples
Saute apple mixture on low until desired thickness is reached.
If you are not a fan of nutmeg, you can omit the nutmeg and double the cloves in the ingredients.