Fermented Friday: Pumpkin Beer Apple Butter

Fermented Friday: recipes featuring yeast, wine, beer or some form of fermentation.

Apple butter and pumpkin butter in each silky smooth spoonful. 

Beer in place of apple juice gives us an excuse to make this for Fermented Friday.  I was excited to try it out with pumpkin beer, but guess what?  Pumpkin beer starts making its way to shelves in August, but it's gone in a flash.  I would still call this pumpkin season, no?  I mean, there's practically a month  left until Thanksgiving.  With everyone trying to get ahead of the game and be the first of the market, all the fall beers have been replaced with winter ales.  Too early.  I ended up using an amber ale instead, but if you can still get your hands on some pumpkin beer then go with that. 

This recipe is super simple, you don't even need to peel the apples. Into the slow cooker, peels and all, go the apples, pumpkin, beer and spices.  Can I just tell you now that your house will smell amazing while this is cooking?  Many apple butter and pumpkin butter recipes are loaded with sugar.  Depending on the sweetness of the apples, I find I don't need sugar at all.  Feel free to add your sweetener of choice, but wait until the end and taste it first, you might not need any after all.

 Unlike this Beer Apple Crisp, the beer flavor in this pumpkin-apple butter didn't come through.  Now that I've tried it once with beer, I'll probably use something along the lines of apple juice next time around. (But knowing me, I'll likely try something a tad more adventurous.)  I might have to whip up another batch soon if I don't stop slathering this on everything.  Try this spiced spread on toast, waffles, pancakes, french toast, muffins, pumpkin bread, you get the idea. Swirl it into your oatmeal, stir into yogurt, spread it inside a grilled cheese sandwich, pair it with peanut butter.  Don't even get me started on all the cookies, bars, cakes and baked goodies we could make.  I suppose I'd better stop eating it straight from the spoon.  That, or make another batch.

Pumpkin Beer Apple Butter

inspired by Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

3 lbs. apples, cored and cut into pieces (no need to peel)

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup pumpkin beer 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp coriander

1 tsp lemon juice

sweetener*, to taste

* The amount of sweetener depends on the type of apple you use and personal preference. I didn't have to add any sweetener, but you could try honey, agave, molasses (just a little), maple syrup or brown sugar. 

Instructions:

* Place apple pieces, pumpkin, beer, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and coriander in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, stirring once or twice.
* Let mixture cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour all mixture back into slow cooker; add lemon juice and sweetener, if desired.
* Cook on high, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Food for Thought: "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt