A true old-fashioned comfort food, homemade Applesauce is so simple to make and, best of all, it does not take a lot of ingredients or any unusual ones. I like to make a big batch of applesauce in the fall when the local apples are fresh in-season and when I can buy, bulk, the different varieties of apples.
While I have often made good applesauce using only one variety of apple, I have discovered that blending several varieties, each with its own properties, adds wonderful flavour to the sauce. I like to use at least three varieties, and sometimes four, in my applesauce so I choose varieties known for their sweet, tart, and tangy properties because their flavours play well off of each other. In the sauce in the photographs in this posting, I have used four varieties – Cortland from the sweet category, Jonagold and MacIntosh from the tart group and, to add a tangy dimension, I added some Honeycrisp.
You don’t want to use too much liquid when cooking the apples – basically, just enough to keep the apples from scorching as they cook. The apples, themselves, will release their juices as they cook. Using too much liquid will make for a very runny, soupy sauce that will lack good consistency. While the applesauce can be made with a little water, using apple juice really kicks the apple flavour of the sauce up a notch. I use brown sugar in my applesauce and also add some pure maple syrup because I like a rich applesauce and both of these ingredients contribute to the lovely color of the sauce. I don’t add much in the way of spices because it’s the apple flavour I am looking for. So, just a small amount of cinnamon and nutmeg is all I add.
Let the apples simmer away on the stove until they are perfectly soft and mushy. For chunky style applesauce, simply mash the cooked apples with a potato masher. If you like a smoother sauce (like the the sauce photographed here), let the apple mixture cool for a bit and then purée it to desired consistency using either an immersion or regular countertop blender.
This applesauce freezes very well in airtight freezer containers. It’s delightful on its own with a good chunk of cheddar cheese and biscuits warm from the oven. Applesauce has a multitude of uses, including as an ingredient in my Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins. Of course, it’s a dandy side to porkchop dishes, as well.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients:
5 lbs apples (e.g., any combination of Cortlands, Jonagold, MacIntosh, Honeycrisp varieties)
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ cup apple juice (or water)
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Method:
Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut apples into four wedges and then cut each wedge into three to four smaller wedges, depending on the size of apples.
Place apples in large stockpot, sprinkling with lemon juice and tossing gently with a large spoon to coat with the lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Place stockpot over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, and stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until apples have completely softened.
Remove from heat and mash apples with a potato masher for chunky-style sauce. For smoother sauce, let apples cool for several minutes and use an immersion blender (or regular countertop blender) to purée apple mixture to desired consistency.
Refrigerate sauce, covered, for up to 3-4 days or freeze in airtight freezer containers for longer storage.
Yield: Apx. 7 cups
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Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
- 5 lbs apples e.g., any combination of Cortlands, Jonagold, MacIntosh, Honeycrisp varieties
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup apple juice or water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
-
Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut apples into four wedges and then cut each wedge into three to four smaller wedges, depending on the size of apples.
-
Place apples in large stockpot, sprinkling with lemon juice and tossing gently with a large spoon to coat with the lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Place stockpot over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, and stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until apples have completely softened.
-
Remove from heat and mash apples with a potato masher for chunky-style sauce. For smoother sauce, let apples cool for several minutes and use an immersion blender (or regular countertop blender) to purée apple mixture to desired consistency.
-
Refrigerate sauce, covered, for up to 3-4 days or freeze in airtight freezer containers for longer storage.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 7 cups
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