i’ve been making my own homemade applesauce for years. even before i was married and had kids, i would make huge batches of it in my mom’s kitchen. so, once my kids came along i was already in the habit of making it and would feed this to them instead of buying the overpriced baby food at the store – and the really nice thing is that i knew it was 100% natural…there is nothing added, not even sugar or cinnamon, though you can certainly add those in if you wanted. but i always found that this applesauce was sweet enough, all on its own.
you might notice in the photos that my applesauce is pink – you can get it this color by adding strawberries, but all i do is leave the skins on and let their red color tint the applesauce (kind of like the way you might use tea, or onion skins, or purple cabbage to color your easter eggs).
all i ever need to make this recipe is apples…lots of red-skinned apples. it’s a great way to use up excess apples that may have lost their perfect “crunch” for eating by hand, or ones that might have a few bruises.
if you want pink-colored applesauce, leave the skins on. just make sure to wash all your apples. if you don’t want them pink and prefer the normal applesauce color, peel all your apples before chopping.
since i’m going to be chopping a lot of apples i try to streamline the job as much as i can. it’s so much easier, faster, and safer to cut anything when it has a flat side to lay on the cutting board. the pictures below show how i cut my apples. it’s nothing earth-shattering, i know, but it’s really efficient and gets the job done quickly.
once they’re all chopped, place the apples in a large pot. to this, you will need to add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of water…just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. the apples will produce their own juices to keep them from burning on the bottom, but they need a little jump start before they get to that point.
cook the apples over medium-high heat until they get really soft. you can see the color of the skins start to change, the apples will let out some of their juices, and the texture will shift from crunchy to really mushy. this will take about 15-20 minutes.
this next part is a little time consuming, or rather, it’s takes a bit more effort on my part than i usually want to do. i’ve been thinking about getting a food mill, like the one here (aff link) and all i would have to do is add the apples to the food mill and process. job done!
but since i don’t have a food mill (yet) once the apples are really soft and falling apart, i transfer a cup or two to a blender and pulse a few times until i don’t have any huge chunks of apple left.
then i transfer it to a sieve placed over a mixing bowl and using a spoon or a ladle i push as much as i can through the sieve. repeat this process between the blender and sieve until all your cooked apples are gone. note: you’ll be left with quite a bit of pulp – all the time you saved by not having to peel the apples at the beginning is now sitting in front of you and it’s time to separate the apple sauce from the skins.
when you’re finished getting all your applesauce in the bowl (don’t forget to scrape the good stuff from the underside of the sieve!) it’s ready to chill in the fridge for a couple hours before serving. when you’re ready to eat, it will be pink and smooth, naturally sweet and delicious.
try your own variations by adding other fruit, cooking or softening the fruit as needed. some of our favorite combinations are: apple/banana, apple/pear, apple/peach, apple/strawberry…. whatever combination you use, you can know that this snack is healthy and delicious and your family will love it!
The mellow sweetness of toasted sugar adds complexity. Apple cider vinegar helps brighten cooked fruit. Using skin-on fruit improves both flavor and color in the finished product. Aromatics like cinnamon, orange peel, and rose water intensify the flavor of the apples.
The best apples for applesauce are whatever apples you have on hand and need to use up. However, if you have a choice, we recommend using a combination of sweet and tangy varieties for the best flavor. Popular sweet varieties include Honeycrisp and Fuji, while popular tangy varieties include Granny Smith and Braeburn.
Use different apple varieties for a mix of sweet and tart flavors with firm and soft textures. I'm partial to Jonagolds, Fujis, and Golden Delicious. You can peel your apples for a smoother texture, but I prefer the added flavor that intact peels bring.
For special projects editor Ashlea Halpern, nothing changes applesauce from baby mush to grown-up snack than mix-ins like dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins. Pepitas or toasted nuts are fair game, too. PEARS!
Freeze a smooth or chunky sauce as preferred. Apples may be pureed in a food mill, blender, food processor, or immersion blender. The addition of lemon juice brightens the flavor. A small amount of apple cider boosts the apple flavor and sweetens the sauce.
Taste; if the applesauce is too tart, add more brown sugar little by little until the flavors are balanced. (Note that no two batches will ever be the same; the flavor will depend on the tartness of the apples you use.)
Peel and core apples if you plan to simply mash them into chunky applesauce. Leave the peels on if you're going to pass the cooked pieces through a food mill, which will separate the skin and seeds from the apple mash. Leaving the skin on while the apple cooks also adds color to the sauce.
Homemade applesauce can be refrigerated for a week to ten days; it can also be frozen or canned for longer-term storage. Mott's recommends its applesauce to be used within ten days of opening. First let me introduce our panel.
Can Dogs Eat Applesauce? Yes, dogs can safely eat plain applesauce! But applesauce generally includes added sugars, so always choose unsweetened applesauce and give it to them in moderation. You can freeze applesauce in ice cube trays and share them with your dog after a long walk or on a hot summer day.
Start by toasting a half-teaspoon of your favorite ground baking spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice) in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to stop the cooking, then stir in a pinch or two of the spice into your applesauce, adding more to taste.
Whether you're starting with jarred applesauce or making your own, there are so many flavors that complement it. Try sprinkling it with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice. Or mix in a dash of vanilla extract.
The soluble fiber in applesauce, in the form of pectin, can be helpful in treating digestive issues, such as diarrhea and constipation. It can help to neutralize the effects of irritable bowel syndrome. Pectin also acts as a prebiotic, which feeds good gut bacteria and promotes good digestive health.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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