How to Make Applesauce

Home made applesauce tastes so much better than store bought, you’ll never be able to go back to that processed, bottled stuff again. But making just enough applesauce for one meal is a bit of a pain.

The trick, then, is to whip up a large batch and either freeze it or can it for later use.

It makes a nice kitchen project for the whole family and results in delicious, nutritious food ideal for the cool winter months.

 

Gather Supplies

You’ll need 3 lbs. of apples; although any apple will do (or a mixture of two or three apples varieties), Pippin, Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh are considered some of the best for applesauce.

In addition, you’ll need some sugar. I recommend at least 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, but you could use up to 2/3 cup. If you like ground cinnamon in your applesauce, you’ll need a little of that, too.

You’ll also need a large pot, a potato masher, food processor, or blender (I prefer immersion blenders for applesauce), a knife and some freezer containers or canning jars. You don’t need an apple peeler/corer to make applesauce, but it does make the job go much more quickly.

Some people like to use a food mill in place of apple peeler/corers and mashers; still others like to cook the apples with their skins still on. I find it a pain to wait for the cooked apples to cool so I can remove the skins. In addition, cooking the apples with their skins on increases the risk of bacteria, which is an important consideration if you want to can the applesauce.

 

 

How to Make Applesauce

Begin by peeling and coring the apples. Cut them into chunks or slices. Dump the apple pieces into the large pot and add 1 cup of water. Add sugar according to your taste; I usually use 1/3 cup because I watch our sugar intake. You can always add more sugar later. Also add the cinnamon, if using.

Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender. If the pot seems in danger of burning because the water content is low, add more water.

Remove the pot from the stove and mash the apples to the desired consistency with a potato masher, or use a food processor or blender to make a smooth puree.

 

How to Store Apple Sauce

You may either allow the applesauce to cool, spoon it into freezer containers, and freeze it, or you may can it.

Leave 1/2 in. headspace in jars and process pint jars in a hot water bath canner for 20 minutes, quart jars for 25.

 

You Might Also Like : A Few Tips About Choosing, Storing and Preparing Apples

 

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