Simple Apple Sauce Recipe
When the apple harvest starts to come in I get the itch to make some of my favorite apple recipes to sustain my family through the winter. One of these family favorites is applesauce. So simple and so delicious. Yes, I realize that I can go and buy applesauce from the store, but there is nothing quite like fresh homemade applesauce. When it is made from scratch at home, I am able to keep the ingredients local, the quality high, and there is no added sugar (unless I just want to add some).
My twins love applesauce. Really what 5 year old doesn’t? They love applesauce just plain in a bowl or even better, scooped up with some graham crackers like a dip. Sprinkle with a little dash of cinnamon for an extra little spiced up kick and they are in heaven. It is a healthy quick snack that makes them and me happy.
In the spring, I plan to plant a small apple and peach orchard on our new farm. I remember as a kid going with our children’s church group to Morgan’s Orchard and picking bushels and bushels of apples for applesauce and apple butter to sell for the church mission trips. It was always so much fun spending the day with family and friends picking fresh delicious apples then going back to the church to start processing our goodies.
While I love the sound of having an orchard of my own, I know it will still be quite a few years before we actually start to see any fruit. So in the meantime, since there are no pick your own orchards close by, I enjoy visiting my local farmers market to get a bushel or two to make the simply delectable delight that is a warm bowl of applesauce. I love buying local because it supports our neighbors and keeps the ingredients I use as fresh as possible for my family. We have a cute little farmers market about twenty minutes up the road that has all kinds of great treats like baked goods and jalapeno pickled eggs as well as fresh fruits and veggies. It’s one of my favorite stops coming home from work.
Applesauce is super versatile which is why it is a staple in my pantry. It’s not only great as a stand alone snack, but it can also be used as a substitute for eggs or oil in a lot of baking recipes. The pectin in the applesauce will allow it to act as a binder similar to eggs while also adding additional moisture to your baked goods. You can bake it into just about anything. Its subtle sweetness also will reduce some of the sugar that recipes call for. Talk about a healthier alternative!
One of my favorite things to bake using applesauce is an Applesauce Cake. You can check out the recipe in Great Eats along with some other great fall recipes! This cake is hands down one of my top 5 favorite cakes. It is pretty perfect because it’s a dense moist cake with just the right amount of spice, perfect for one hand snacking. To make a good thing even better, it is studded with pecans and plump raisins that make the texture delectable. I love it in the morning with coffee, as an afternoon snack, or a post dinner sweet topped with ice cream and caramel. It is drool worthy.
But regardless of how wonderful this cake is, it would be not be possible without its delicious namesake, Applesauce. And that is what I am going to be making today, along with teaching you how I can and preserve it through the winter months. It really could not be simpler. I do not add any additional sugar with the exception of using a local apple cider to help steam the apples.
The first step is to prepare your apples. You can use a variety of apple for delicious applesauce. I recommend something along the lines of Gala, Fuji, or Macintosh as they have a great natural sweetness and do not require additional sugar. You can always do a combination of apples as well! This year I used Fuji, mainly because they looked the best and had the best price per bushel at the market.
To prepare your apples you will need to peel, core, and slice them. This is hands down the most labor intensive part of the process. I don’t use any fancy tools, just a knife and my hands, like we did when we peeled what felt like a million apples for the church applebutter day. But they do make some pretty nifty gadgets nowadays to expedite the process of peeling and coring. Maybe when the orchard is established I will invest in some of those, but for now I will be doing my processing by hand. I prefer to slice my apples pretty thin as this helps make a speedy cook time as well as a more even applesauce at the end of the cooking process. I process about a half bushel at a time which is equivalent to about 22 pounds of apples unprepared.
After all the peeling and coring is done you are going to be left with a pile of scraps. Don’t throw these out in the trash! Use them in your compost pile, feed to your animals (tame and wild), or make apple scrap jelly with them. I am a firm believer in using all of what you have to sustain your family. Waste not want not.
Now that all of your apples are peeled, cored, and sliced, they will all go into a large high sided pot. A spaghetti pot is great for this as it gives you lots of room. If you don’t have a pot large enough to process a half bushel at a time, you can use a smaller one and adjust the measurements as needed. You will cook your apples over medium heat, along with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a half cup of apple cider or water (if you would rather not add any sugar). I like the little bit of flavor and sweetness that the cider imparts. I use a local cider that I also pick up from the farmers market.
The apples, cider, and lemon juice will cook for one to two hours over medium to medium low heat until they are soft and breaking apart. You will want to stir the mixture occasionally to ensure no sticking or burning. Once the apples are cooked down, you will need to decide on the final consistency that you want. I prefer a chunkier sauce so I use a potato masher to mash down the apples creating nice delicious chunks. If you prefer a smoother consistency you can either use a food mill or an emersion blender to reach your desired final product.
Once the applesauce is ready, I leave the mixture on warm and begin preparing my jars for canning. For applesauce I have always done a water bath to can. Prepare your jars by cleaning and sanitizing them then heat jars in warm water and simmer until ready to start. Wash your lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles with a wooden dowel or spoon handle. Wipe the rim and center the lid on the jar. Tighten the band to hand tight and process in boiling water for 20 minutes. You may need to adjust for altitude. Remove jars and allow to cool. Check seals after about 24 hours to ensure proper seal.
Simple Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 22 lbs Apples peeled, cored, sliced
- ½ cup Apple cider or water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 hours stirring occasionally until the apples begin to break down.
- Once cooked down, take a potato masher and mash until desired consistency is reached. For smoother applesauce run through mill or use an emersion blender. Lower heat to low and simmer while preparing jars.
- Clean and sanitize jars and heat in a water bath. Wash lids in warm soapy water.
- Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims. Apply lid and band
- Process jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
- Remove jars from water bath and allow to cool. Check seals after 24 hours to ensure adequate seal.
One Comment
Anita
Lots of work but you are right. Homemade is better. Makes great apple and dumplings.