Homemade applesauce is easy to make and allows for customization of spice and sweetness. It’s a great way to preserve apples and can be used on a variety of foods or eaten on its own. Use cooking apples, water, lemon, cinnamon sticks, and sugar to make it. It can be frozen, refrigerated, or canned for later use.
Applesauce is a stewed apple puree that is very easy to make at home. Because many people prefer to customize the spice and sweetness of their applesauce, homemade applesauce is a great way around unsatisfying store-bought apples. For people with bumper apple harvests, applesauce is also an effective way to preserve apples over the winter. Once made, applesauce can be used on a variety of foods or eaten on its own, and is a very popular gruel in many parts of the world. You can also make applesauce with young or novice cooks to teach them a quick, basic recipe that’s also fun to eat.
To make applesauce, start with three to four pounds (about two kilograms) of apples suitable for cooking or baking. Gravensteins, Granny Smiths, Fujis, McIntoshes, Jonathans, Golden Delicious and Pippins are all great choices for making applesauce. Many cooks also like to mix multiple varieties in one batch, for a more complex flavor. Peel the apples and lead them; an apple corer is a useful tool for this task. After peeling, roughly chop the apples and toss them in a large pot.
Add a cup of water, the juice and zest of one lemon, a pinch of salt, and three or four cinnamon sticks to the applesauce. Other seasonings such as ground cloves, nutmeg or allspice can also be used and can also be mixed in at the end. Additionally, you’ll need up to three-quarters of a cup of sugar. Mixing dark and light sugars is an excellent way to adjust the flavor, and use less sugar if you want to make a tarter applesauce.
Bring the pot to a boil, covered, then simmer for about 30 minutes, until the apples are softened. Remove the cinnamon sticks and puree. For a chunkier applesauce, use a potato masher or large wooden spoon. For a smooth puree, use a blender, blender, or ricer to achieve the desired smooth consistency.
After you make your applesauce, you can freeze it for up to a year. It also keeps refrigerated for several days, or it can be canned and stored in a cool, dry place. If you make your own applesauce and intend to do so, be sure to follow boiling water canning safety procedures to ensure your applesauce remains safe and healthy to eat.
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