Homemade Apple Sauce

[corazon]

Hey everyone! It is apple season and would like, for the first time, to give a whirl at making applesauce. I'd love anyone's feedback. Also, there is an Apple Apricot sauce on the shelves, made by Santa Cruz, which I just love. Any ideas on that? This is the list of ingredients on the bottle if that helps:

INGREDIENTS: Organic Apples, Organic Apricot Puree, Organic Apple Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Apricot puree? Made from dried apricots or maybe fresh? Thanks all!

[middie]

cora i'm thinking probably fresh apricots were used for that.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by corazon90

...Apricot puree? Made from dried apricots or maybe fresh? Thanks all!

I thought they would be made from fresh apricots. Then I did a google search to find a couple of recipes using dried apricots, apricot nectar and sugar.

[pdswife]

I just peel and core my apples...
boil in a little water until soft and then mash up as
much or as little as I'd like. Add sugar and cinn. as desired.
Very easy. Very good!

[corazon]

how long will the applesauce keep? and what are the best apples to use?

[Alix]

I like to use Granny's for my applesauce, but any firm textured apple will work. As to how long it will last, well that depends on how tasty it is! LOL. Seriously though, I have frozen mine in small jars many many times. I used it as the base for all my fruit flavoured baby food, and froze it in baby food jars.

I also don't put any sugar in mine. It is purely a matter of taste. My mom likes hers done with brown sugar and cinnamon. Its a very forgiving sort of thing to make. Let us know what you decided to do with it.

[Dove]

Last night I used Golden delicious that my SIL sent over..stewed them and added a little splenda at the end. It's really good, I would peel both fruits and just cook in a little water or even apple juice.

Marge

[corazon]

Bought 5lbs of Jonagolds at the Farmer's Market yesterday, so I will be trying it out hopefully tomorrow.

[Constance]

I don't bother to peel or core my apples...I just cut them in pieces. Then I put them in a pan with the sugar and start them off at a simmer. Once they start to release juice, I turn it up a bit.
Once they are soft, I run them through a food mill. Then I add my cinnamon (or red hots), adjust the amount of sugar, heat gently and put in pint jars for canning.
I say this as if I just made some yesterday...actually, I haven't made any homemade applesauce since my kids were little. Nowadays, I buy a jar and doctor it up to suit my taste.
I always like Jonathons for apple sauce. The red from the skins adds a touch of pink to the sauce that I like very much.
If you do peel and core your apples before making the sauce, save the peelings and cores and boil for apple jelly. You can add other fruit to it if you wish.

[PA Baker]

Here are two different recipes I like to use for apple sauce. I freeze mine in small portions (either Zip-loc baggies or small freezer-proof bowls work well). It can last for many months this way.


Granny Smith Apple Sauce
Makes 5 to 6 cups

Ingredients:

4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Sprinkle sugar over apples in a bowl. Combine lemon juice and water. Pour over apples; stir gently.

Transfer the apples to heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes or just until apples are soft, not mushy.

Stir in cinnamon, allspice and vanilla.

Purée the apples and cooking liquid in food processor until almost smooth, or run through a food mill.

Serving variation: Great served warm over ice cream.


Applesauce

6 apples, McIntosh preferred
1 c water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon, optional


Peel and core apples and cut into quarters. Place them in an enamel sauce pan with the water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down slightly and simmer 30 minutes to break them down and get them too thicken. Take off the heat and stir in the sugar and cinnamon, if using.

[Piccolina]

Homemade apple sauce is really yummy with some pureed (and strained if you dislike seeds) berries tossed into it (blackberries and apples have a natural affinity for eachother).