Fall is fast approaching and nothing says Fall more than apples. Whether you pick your own or buy them from your local orchard or farm stand, fresh, locally produced apples are at their best during the autumn months. They are the perfect ingredient to keep stocked in your kitchen. But did you know that eating apples in season helps get rid of the last heat of summer? Try this delicious recipe for Apple Butter that you can make in a slow cooker that is both easy to make and so healing!
Eastern View: Raw apples can be too cool, hard, and rough to eat raw in the fall. Cooking apples balances their cold quality making this light but incredibly satisfying butter ideal for early fall. Apples will remove residual summer heat from the body when served warm and moist. The benefits of apple’s cooling, cleansing qualities are many. Apples serve as a gentle daily cleanser for the digestive system and help support. regularity. They strengthen digestion by lowering any acidity and excessive hunger – great for Pittas.
Apples also have the ability to optimizes your dietary pH balance and lastly they help boost immunity to prevent most colds and flu in this season.
So an apple a day really does work!
Western View: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is an old proverb that most of us are familiar with, but what makes this fruit so special? What health benefits are associated with eating apples?
As one of the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world, apples are continuously being praised as a “miracle food”.
Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Apples deserve to be called “nutritional powerhouses”. They contain the following important nutrients:
- Vitamin C – a powerful natural antioxidant capable of blocking some of the damage caused by free radicals, as well as boosting the body’s resistance against infectious agents, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
- B-complex vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B-6) – these vitamins are key in maintaining red blood cells and the nervous system in good health.
- Dietary fiber – the British National Health Service says that a diet high in fiber can help prevent the development of certain diseases and may help prevent the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood from rising.
- Phytonutrients – apples are rich in polyphenolic compounds”. These phytonutrients help protect the body from the detrimental effects of free radicals.
- Minerals such as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Apple Butter: Crock-Pot Style
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mixed apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples and cut them into a rough ¾ to 1-inch square. Place in the bottom of a large slow cooker, then top with maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours, stirring once half-way through.
- Once the apples are very tender and brown. With an immersion blender, puree the apples until the apple butter is your desired consistency. If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer the apples to a blender or food processor in batches and blend till smooth, then return to the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to high and let the apple butter continue to cook, uncovered, for 2 additional hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the vanilla and salt. Taste for sweetness adding more maple syrup if needed. Spoon into jars or an airtight container.
Enjoy slathered on sourdough toast for breakfast accompanied with our Fall Chai, or have as a mid-morning snack with crackers…or eat by the spoonful when no one is watching as I do! This apple butter is just one staple to keep in your kitchen – get our complete guide to stocking your Ayurvedic kitchen with healthy and affordable foods!
In health,
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