Needless to say I pounced on these jewels. They had dings and a couple of bumps but no bruises. Even if they had bruises I still would have bought them to make applesauce. Homemade applesauce is one of my favorite fall treats. It is great for breakfast, a side dish for dinner, snacks and a fabulous ingredient for applesauce cake. I really haven't found the perfect applesauce cake, maybe you guys know of one?!
I made a hug batch of this awesome stuff. I know I have done an applesauce post before but this 100% Honeycrisp applesauce just blew me away. It is amazing what can be done with seconds at the farmers market. If you have a little time and don't mind peeling a bunch of apples, the payoff is so worth it! I made a huge batch, packed a couple of jars 3/4 of the way full and froze them and there is plenty leftover for now!
How did I make it? It is a seriously easy recipe. The hardest part is peeling apples. Maybe this is where family members and house mates come in. They can earn their bowl of applesauce by owning part of the process! You know, the whole ownership thing? This is big in my household right now and what do I mean by ownership? For example, if you earn part or all of the money needed for something like a trip or big ticket item or just helping out at home cooking or cleaning then you own part of the end results. Ownership. I believe this has a lifelong effect on young adults and children about responsibility how to achieve goals in life and why. This also keeps parents from feeling like slaves and money machines!
OOPS. Got a little off the applesauce agenda there. From applesauce to ownership, sorry folks, that's a parent for ya.
Applesauce.
For the best applesauce in the universe, start with fresh apples. When you get seconds at the market these are usually as fresh as the regular priced apples or produce but just aren't perfect for some reason - like a hurricane, earthquake took place! Or just damage from travel which is the more likely story.
I usually end up with a variety of apples but will bypass red delicious because I don't like these for anything, cooking or eating. Peel the apples chop them up, place them in a big pot, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water or apple cider (cider is preferred but I used water this time) according to how many apples there are, 1/2 to 1 cup of brown sugar or other sweetener, the juice of 1 lemon and add a teaspoon of cinnamon. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Test some of the apple chunks for doneness. I mash mine up with a potato masher for a chunky consistency. If you like a more pureed version, the food processor would be a good weapon of choice. I like chunky and tart. I usually only add enough sugar to enhance the flavor of the apples but if you use cider and sweet apples in your mix, you may not need much sugar? Remember when putting this together you can always add more liquid or sugar or spice later at the end of cooking time while it is still hot.
For you ginger junkies out there, put a slice or so of ginger in your sauce while it is cooking. Very delicious. It does make a difference whether it is ground ginger or real slices of ginger but either works. The slices of ginger just seem to permeate the sauce in a rather lovely way that ground ginger just doesn't.
Keep an eye out for that bucket of beautiful, tasty apples and take the plunge and if they are seconds. that is another reason to go for it.
Enjoy!
oooohh.. that looks so tasty!
ReplyDeleteHomemade applesauce rocks!! great idea of ownership, my kids would be all over this applesauce!
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I made applesauce with Honeycrisp apples this past week. I used it in sweet potato bran muffins, very healthy and good.
ReplyDeleteMy grandchildren loved it, the homemade has so much more apple flavor. I used a foodmill which worked out well and a small amount of sugar. I'm glad you posted this and your photos are perfect;-)
Thanks Online and Vianney.
ReplyDeletePatty - Sounds like a great recipe. I need to work on recipes for applesauce. I completely agree about the flavor, there is no comparison to store bought.
i love homemade applesauce! yumm
ReplyDeleteHow many apples would you use?
ReplyDeleteI usually adjust the recipe for how many apples I have or how much applesauce I want to make. In the above recipe it was probably 10 to 12 large apples. A very large apple will make from 1 to 1 1/2 cups of apple sauce. Go with less water or apple cider and sugar to start with and after the apple cook down then taste to see if you want more sugar for sweetness or liquid if you want a thinner consistency. I like mine tart so I usually don't add sugar. I mash my apples after they have cooked down with a potato masher because I like it chunky. You can puree it if you want a finer texture. In other words make it to your liking and enjoy! I know that is more than you asked but I hope this helps.
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