Homemade Applesauce
Still have apples?
Run to your neighbor's tree this evening and gather a few pounds before they're gone.
This applesauce recipe is almost like dessert. The flavor is simple, yet complex. Sweet, tart, and savory, it's an applesauce for grown-ups (but your kids will like it, too!). My husband says it's just like eating the inside of an apple pie, but better!
Do yourself a favor and purchase an apple corer and peeler for $15-20. It makes apple pie and applesauce preparation a piece of cake (or pie!), and your kids will clamor to help out -- just to take part in the fun of using this gadget.
Homemade Savory Applesauce
8 pounds apples (will be about 4 pounds once peeled, cored and sliced)
1 c. apple juice
1 c. water
2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. honey (if using sweet apples, omit or use 1-3 T.)
1 t. cinnamon
Using an apple peeler and corer, peel, core and slice apples and place into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water, juice, vanilla, honey and cinnamon.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until apples are tender.
Let cool a bit, and puree in a food processor or blender in small batches, transferring to a bowl after each batch. If you like chunky applesauce, puree half the apples and mash the other half with a potato masher.
This freezes well in 2-cup quantities in quart freezer bags. Fill the bags, remove air bubbles, and lay flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Search "canning applesauce" if you prefer shelf-stable jars of applesauce.
Makes about 8 cups of applesauce.
Enjoy apple season!
-------------------------------------------
So. . .you're a purist, you say? You think there shouldn't be honey or vanilla in applesauce? If your apples are sweet and perfect just the way they are, use this basic recipe and enjoy some unadulterated appley goodness:
Run to your neighbor's tree this evening and gather a few pounds before they're gone.
This applesauce recipe is almost like dessert. The flavor is simple, yet complex. Sweet, tart, and savory, it's an applesauce for grown-ups (but your kids will like it, too!). My husband says it's just like eating the inside of an apple pie, but better!
Do yourself a favor and purchase an apple corer and peeler for $15-20. It makes apple pie and applesauce preparation a piece of cake (or pie!), and your kids will clamor to help out -- just to take part in the fun of using this gadget.
Homemade Savory Applesauce
8 pounds apples (will be about 4 pounds once peeled, cored and sliced)
1 c. apple juice
1 c. water
2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. honey (if using sweet apples, omit or use 1-3 T.)
1 t. cinnamon
Using an apple peeler and corer, peel, core and slice apples and place into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water, juice, vanilla, honey and cinnamon.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until apples are tender.
Let cool a bit, and puree in a food processor or blender in small batches, transferring to a bowl after each batch. If you like chunky applesauce, puree half the apples and mash the other half with a potato masher.
This freezes well in 2-cup quantities in quart freezer bags. Fill the bags, remove air bubbles, and lay flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Search "canning applesauce" if you prefer shelf-stable jars of applesauce.
Makes about 8 cups of applesauce.
Enjoy apple season!
-------------------------------------------
So. . .you're a purist, you say? You think there shouldn't be honey or vanilla in applesauce? If your apples are sweet and perfect just the way they are, use this basic recipe and enjoy some unadulterated appley goodness:
Homemade Plain-and-Simple Applesauce
8 pounds apples (will be about 4 pounds once peeled, cored and sliced)
2 c. water
Using an apple peeler and corer, peel, core and slice apples and place into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water, juice, vanilla, honey and cinnamon.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until apples are tender.
Let cool a bit, and puree in a food processor or blender in small batches, transferring to a bowl after each batch.
Makes about 8 cups of applesauce.
-------------------------------------------
BIG BATCH of Homemade Savory Applesauce
12 lbs apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped
4 c. water
2 c. hard apple cider
12 oz (one bottle) ginger beer
2 T vanilla
3/4 c. honey
1 T cinnamon
-------------------------------------------
Have a huge batch of small apples? I just made a batch of applesauce without peeling the apples, and it was really wonderful. I added hard cider and ginger ale in addition to water for the liquids (I didn't have apple juice, but had hard cider -- go figure!). The result was lovely. Try making a batch of this with your neighbor's apples this autumn.
12 lbs apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped
4 c. water
2 c. hard apple cider
12 oz (one bottle) ginger beer
2 T vanilla
3/4 c. honey
1 T cinnamon
Core and slice apples and place into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add water, cider, ginger ale, vanilla, honey and cinnamon.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for ~60 minutes, until apples are tender.
Let cool a bit, and puree until smooth in a food processor or blender in small batches, transferring to a bowl after each batch.