Applesauce

By cnash

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. (Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.)
• 4 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler to strip 4 lengths
• Juice of one lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp
• 3 inches of cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
• up to 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. (Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.)

Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

This is a lovely recipe, I used some sort of macitosh apple(small and red all the way through some times) and made 4 liters of the most wonderful sauce. If you use a strainer and save the juice it makes a great hard cider! All in all, a great way to make apple sauce!

I agree — homemade applesauce is one of those deceptively simple luxuries. But, sugar? Who needs it? I make a wonderful sauce using unpeeled, cored & quartered Cortlands and a bit of apple cider to get them started. Then I put it through my Foley food mill…the results are a lovely pink sauce that’s sweet and tangy. Freezes beautifully and is a favorite among neighbors and friends and family when I bring a quart along to picnics or holiday dinners.

I used to make a sweetened, cinnamon’d sauce, but when I discovered these local Cortlands cooked up so deliciously, it just wasn’t worth bothering with the extras.

Note from Elise: If you don’t add sugar, then you don’t need the juice of a whole lemon, perhaps just a teaspoon or two to taste.

Excellent recipe, and so easy to make! I made this recipe with a bag of McIntosh apples, and used 1/4 cup of cinnamon, and it came out perfect! Thanks for posting it!!

Great recipe! I had some apples that were going to go to waste. I found a blender based recipe elsewhere that didn’t work, so I had to scramble. Switched to this one mid-cooking and oh! warm applesauce is awesome!

I am a divorced Dad & I had a request for apple sauce the way I use to make it when my children were young..this one hit the nail on the head ..thanks..it`s great just the way it is.

A deceptively simple recipe for great taste. I added a little star anise to give it some Asian inspiration, plus it complements cinnamon well. The lemon peel smells amazing when it’s simmering.

This was simply delicious. received RAVE reviews. I used three sort of apples: 1/2 granny smith, 1/4 golden delicious, 1/4 some other sort and believe that the mix really makes the difference. You could taste the apple goodness. taster loved the rougher texture too.

Peel, core, slice your apples. Place in a crockpot or slow cooker. Place 1 (no more) cinnamon stick in the middle. Turn on low and cook for 6-8 hours or what I do, is cook it overnight. Stir and apple slices will give away to delicious applesauce.

You can add sugar to your liking, but I never do. It’s so simple and yummy!

When the world gives you lemons, make lemonade.

When the world gives you apples, make applesauce!

I can’t eat that many apples. Twice now, however, I have used your recipe to make applesauce. I eat it chilled and it’s delicious. It’s a sweet alternative to processed sugary sweets that most of us eat too much of.

Mmm…yummy. Do you think I could can it in a boiling water canner, or would I need a pressure canner? Apples are on sale at the grocery store next week and I want some :)

Because of the sugar content, and the acidity from the lemon juice, you should be able to safely can this applesauce with a boiling water canner. ~Elise

I was making 2 Qts. of apple sauce with Cortland and Delicious apples from our own trees, however, the red delicious apples are not really good for sauce. So after reviewing comments here, I saw someone suggested adding lemon peel at the end. I didn’t have a fresh lemon, but did have a lime. I tried a few strips of lime peel and the lime juice from one lime. It was amazing. A slight bit tart, like applesauce should be, and very refreshing, with just a hint of Key Lime pie! ( I also included 1 tsp cinnamon, and brown sugar to sweeten my recipe.) Try some lime peel- you’ll be surprised!

This is a wonderfully simple and tasty recipe! I made some slight modifications that turned out to be delectable: I added the full 1/2-cup of sugar, and used light-brown sugar (1/4-cup) instead. Also, I used 1-tsp of cinnamon, 1-tsp of lemon juice concentrate, and 1/2-tsp of kosher salt. I also added some pears to an 8-lb batch and strawberries to a separate 3-lb batch. I froze the applesauce in 2-cup portions, then put the frozen portions into vacuum bags and vacuum sealed them. Thanks again for this wonderful start of a recipe!

I would definitely add a whole vanilla bean or two…

Oh, I miss homemade applesauce! We used to drive up to one of those pick-your-own places and come home with buckets’ worth of apples. I’m pretty sure I thought the food mill was really an apple sauce machine because that’s all my parents ever used it for! We would sit around after dinner dipping pretzels into the warm sauce and oh, it was incredible.

What if I served this applesauce warm on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a graham or whole wheat cracker? might it remind one of apple pie?

. Even easier to make than applesauce. ~Elise

The best applesauce I’ve ever had was the applesauce my grandmother used to make. she always used transparent apples and now I do, too. I just cook the apples down with a little water and then mash them. Then, if it needs it, I might had a sprinkling of sugar and/or cinnamon. So good.

I’m definitely going to have to try adding the lemon juice and peel. That sounds perfect.

Like some other commenters, I say forgo the sugar. With the right apples, it isn’t needed at ALL. Or, at least start small and add incrementally if not using very sweet apples (which is basically what you suggest with the “up to 1/2″ measurement).

, because you want the pectin from cores to help it thicken. But you can make apple sauce this way too. ~Elise

We usually just eat it straight. I love applesauce over cottage cheese for breakfast. You can also easily freeze it (just leave some headroom in the jar to prevent it from breaking when it freezes). Much of the applesauce we make during apple season we freeze and eat all year. ~Elise

I make a really quick and easy applesauce, and usually just eat it as is, or mixed with home made, unsweetened yoghurt.

2) Place the apples in a large microwave safe bowl and place the apple chunks in it with a splash of water.

3) Cover the bowl with a plate and cook for 5 minutes, stir and recover. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

5) Thoroughly blend.

What I like about this applesauce is that it is simple, and keeps the apple peel (you wont notice after it’s blended) which contains much of the nutritional value. Also it has no added sugar. Of course you can add spices, or a little lemon if you like.

I add those little cinnamon heart candies that you have leftover from Valentines Day to the applesauce as it is cooking. They impart a unique cinnamon flavour, a hint of sweetness, and a very appealing rosy color.

Thanks for the reminder! I have a lovely bowl of Ginger Golds, Macs, and an unknown “baking” apple my daughter picked at the apple farm – time to make applesauce. Instead of lemon, I add a cup or so of raw cranberries – it makes it slightly tart, so tasting before freezing is critical. Beautiful rosy color, too.

Awesome! The only way I knew how to make applesauce is by using my crock pot. Looks great, Elise.

I attended a family reunion this weekend in the Alabama countryside – there aren’t a lot of apple trees but we have some great sand pears (I’m not sure if that is the technical term but it’s the one I heard all my life – very dense flesh and thick, bumpy skin) – I almost picked my uncle’s pear tree clean with the plan to make some pear butter (my aunt – one of the world’s best country cooks – swears by a recipe she’s going to email me – I’ll pass it on if anyone wants a go at it), pear preserves (a specialty in the deep south), and pear sauce. I had my own simple recipe for pear sauce that I threw together one year but I’m going to try this one and hope my little ones actually eat it this year. Like all kids, they need a little incentive, so I usually make mine with Splenda (to cut down on calories and sugar intake) and sprinkle a very few candy sprinkles on top – yes I know it negates the Splenda but the fun aspect helps them eat and they clear their bowls so I get fruit in and do a trade off on the sugar :)

Your recipe is so simple and so delicious! I had a big bag of Fuji apples from a friend’s tree and looked to your site immediately. I love the lemon peel, it really does add that fresh taste. Thank you again and I love your site!

So delicious. I added a lot more lemon juice than you recommended and it came out wonderful.

I’ve known your site for a long time, but these days I’ve tried some of your recipes. I’ve had some organic Boskoop apples and I’ve decides to try to make your apple sauce. It was a success! Thanks a lot, it was really delicious ^^

Great recipe! I love to add golden raisins soaked in Amaretto Liquor. Just bring several ounces to boil, remove from heat , add some raisins, cover and let sit for 45 minutes or so till plumped; drain and add to applesauce. Delicious on Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast. Oven toasted pecans sound good also.

What a great and simple recipe to put together. I used 3T brown sugar and 2 slices lemon rind along with the cinnamon stick. I, at first omitted the sugar, but after an initial taste when this was simmering away I added the sugar and I am glad I did because the sugar is just what it needed. I also ran it through a Foley food mill and the outcome is velvety and buttery.

I was given 4 bags of apples in a food box. There was no way we could eat all those apples. I found this recipe and gave it a shot. As the time of year I added the sugar. My house smelled so good while it was cooking. When it was done it was a big hit with the family. I will definitely be making this again.

What a great recipe! Loved the added lemon. I plan on using this to make my Zucchini Bread. Thanks for sharing. Seattle, WA

I love homemade applesauce, and make a huge batch every year for canning and freezing and a lot of eating. I prefer to use a mix of apple varieties, and very little (if any) sugar. I also like it really chunky, so I don’t smoosh any of it at all, and just let it exist at its natural cooked down consistency. My other little secret is to use apple cider instead of water- its so rich. Making applesauce is something I look forward to every year!

My kids love homemade applesauce – in addition to the above recipe I also include an inch or so of peeled ginger root; and, I also add nutmeg to it – no sugar and use apple juice instead of water. Oh so good!

I just made this and it was fantastic! I used an apple corer/slicer thing for it, rather than quartering the apples. after it simmered for 30 minutes, I was thrilled to discover that no mashing was even necessary! The apples had just fallen apart and had a perfect apple-saucy texture. I used 8 granny smiths.

This is pretty similar to the method I use for making applesauce. A couple of tips for you or anyone to try: Use a slow-cooker to cook the apples. My mom makes homemade applesauce but she has accidentally burned it on the stove before by not putting enough water in and letting it all evaporate too quickly. The slow cooker prevents this (and prevents boiling over, too.) I also use at least 3 and as many as 6 different varieties of apples. The variety is really what gives it the best flavor, I think. Of course, when I make applesauce in my slow cooker, I make a HUGE batch. My slow cooker holds (I think) 8 quarts and I fill it up with raw apples (usually around 10lbs of apples total.) I also use some cranberry juice as part of the liquid. I would use apple juice or cider but I don’t keep it on hand as much as cranberry juice. I’ve already made my huge batch of applesauce 3 times since Thanksgiving. My husband loves the stuff. I added 2 pears the last time I made it, in addition to about 5 or 6 different kinds of apples.

We have an apple tree at our new house in Ca, and we have no idea what type of apples they are…but, they are ready so I had to do something. I got the apples going with only a little water in the bottom of the pot then I added brown sugar, cinnamon and a hint of almond before putting them in the food mill. They tasted a bit “dry” so I checked the web and found your recipe. I had already made the sauce, but I liked your idea about adding the lemon peel and since I didn’t have any on hand, I squeezed a couple of oranges into the sauce (I also have 3 orange trees, I am always looking for ways to get rid of oranges)and the taste is amazing! Thanks for the idea of adding citrus…I never would have thought of it!

I made applesauce last night for the very first time in my life using your recipe. OMG ! I couldn’t believe how easy it was. The most tedious part was peeling 4 pounds of apples .. but it was well worth it. I got the apples for free from my son’s neighbor so it truly was very inexpensive and so deliciously rewarding. In addition to the cinnamon called for in the recipe, I also added some strawberries and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg. I didn’t have any lemons on hand so I used a few fresh limes from my tree instead. Thanks for the recipe. This is certainly a keeper.

I have tried several applesauce recipes and this is the BEST by far!!! It is delicious and love that it keeps a light color. Other recipes I have used result a in dark applesauce. I guess the key to that is the lemon juice. I have 2 more bushels of apples to make in to applesauce. So glad I found this recipe, my boys are too. Thanks for sharing!

Heather

Great questions. This isn’t a recipe designed for canning though, and we don’t can our applesauce. We’ll freeze the jars we make. I suggest looking up applesauce canning recipes on a canning or preserving site like Ball or

I have made this applesauce twice. Both times it got great reviews. One trick I tried was to put a tiny drop of red food on each of the pieces of lemon peel to make them a little easier to find. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

I made this recipe on Thanksgiving and it was awesome! I used 6 large granny smith apples and followed everything else in the recipe, only exception was that I used ground cinnamon since that is what I had on hand. I think it got better after a couple days in the fridge so next year I will make on Mon or Tues for Thanksgiving! Love things I can make in advance, thanks!!!

I love this recipe! A friend suggested that I try a bag of one kind of apples and then pick up six or seven different kinds to add to the sauce. It gives a wonderful taste, and of course, you get lots of sauce. Thank you!

Just finished a batch with the sugar replaced with 1/2 cup of agave nectar and lime replacing the lemon…absolutely delicious!!