These days nothing is discarded just repurposed, so I instantly thought this would be the perfect time for some homemade applesauce.
Not only do I just love the taste of applesauce, I also love that it freezes well. Applesauce will last at least a year in a freezer.
Keep in mind, if you do freeze it, make sure to allow enough headroom in your jar for expansion. At least an inch.
Applesauce is delicious to me either hot or chilled. It pairs well with savory dishes like pork chops.
It is terrific with cottage cheese as a snack or light lunch, and some people eat it with yogurt.
The recipe is just a guideline, please edit to your liking.
In place of the ground cinnamon you can cook the apples with a stick of cinnamon, just remove it before puréeing.
Adjust the sugar amounts to your taste. You can even leave the sugar out all together if you are using sweet apples.
If you use less sugar than this recipe suggests, you will likely want to reduce the amount of lemon juice as well.
The tartness of the lemon serves to intensify the taste of the apples, and helps balance out the sweetness of the sauce.
The result is a refreshing, utterly delicious applesauce.
Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
- About 8 to 10 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered (use apples varieties that are good for cooking such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Golden Delicious or simply use what you have)
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (more or less to desired taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (can sub with white sugar or use half white and brown)
- 1 cup of water (or apple juice, if using apple juice you may want to use less sugar)
Instructions
- Place the peeled, cored, and quartered apples into a large pot, with water or apple juice and lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then lower the temperature, cover the pot, and maintain a low simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the apples are completely tender and cooked through.
- Stir through the sugar and mix until melted. (You might want to add sugar slowly and taste while adding to get to desired taste.)
- Add the cinnamon and stir through.
- Use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples in the pot to make a chunky applesauce. For a smoother applesauce you can either purée them using a stick blender or a standing blender. Or use a food processor. (If you use a standing blender, do small batches and do not fill the blender bowl more than halfway.)
- Notes: When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. If the applesauce is too thick, add more water to thin it out. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste. If too sweet, add more lemon juice.
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