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If you remember, I had a rough time picking apples this year. We ended up with a whole lotta’ nothing 🙁 But I sure won’t let that stop me! I still had to make some applesauce, even if it meant using apples we didn’t pick ourselves. I was able to snag some from a local farmer’s market, so they were still fairly fresh.
The key to a good applesauce is really good apples. The fresher the apple, the sweeter and better tasting it will be! So I prefer to pick my own apples, and make my sauce right away. My apple of choice is Empire – they are super sweet, and need no sugar at all. This year, I settled for a mixture of Fuji and Gala (also very sweet) and they worked great, as well. If you’re apples aren’t fresh or sweet, you may have to add some sugar to your sauce, or use apple juice instead of water. I’m no fan of that, so I stick to sweet apples!
Start off by peeling your apples. I leave some with a bit of skin on, because finding chunks of apple skin in my sauce makes me oh-so-happy. What you do is totally up to you – it’s great with or without skin! Just make sure the chunks aren’t too big though, or things will get a little… chewy.
Slice the apples into quarters and cut out the cores. Pop ’em in the crockpot and add just a little bit of water. I also mix in some nutmeg and cinnamon, for a hint of flavor. If cinnamon flavored applesauce is your thing, definitely add more. Or, you can leave the spices out completely!
Cook them on low for 4 hours, or until they’re nice and soft. Here again, personal preference comes in to play. I like my applesauce chunky (as you can see from the pictures), so I mash the apples up a bit and call it good. If you like the traditional smooth texture, use an immersion blender to puree it all. Or you can use a regular blender, just be careful because the sauce is HOT!
This applesauce is so so easy, and you can change things up however you want, depending on your preferences. Trust me, once you eat homemade applesauce, the store-bought kind will taste watery and completely flavorless. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya! 🙂
- 12 apples (Sweet - like Empire, Fuji, or Gala)
- Water or apple juice
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Wash and peel apples. Leave a little bit of skin on, if desired. Just make sure you don't leave big pieces!
- Slice apples into quarters and cut out the cores.
- Place apples into a crockpot and add a couple tablespoons of water.
- Sprinkle with spices, if desired, and stir. Add as much or as little as you want - it's up to you! If you use apples that aren't very sweet, you can always add in some sugar.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- For chunkier applesauce, mash the cooked apples to desired consistency. For smooth applesauce, blend with an immersion blender, or carefully puree in a blender (you may need to do this in batches).
- Store in refrigerator.
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