Today I'm sharing with you a super easy, super delicious recipe for homemade applesauce.
First, it's best to pick fresh apples from a local orchard ... not only are they super fresh and delicious, but the experience of doing this together as a family creates wonderful memories. =)
How many apples you will need will depend on the size of the apples, how much sauce you want to make and the size of your crock pot.
I have 2 large crockpots {I am so sorry, but I cannot find the size of them written anywhere!} and it took about 8-9 large apples to fill each pot. I ended up doing 3 batches total so I used around 27-30 apples.
First peel the apples ...
Then chop into small pieces ...
Dump all the apple pieces into the crock pot - don't worry if it's full up to the top, the apples cook down a LOT so it's OK if it's really full.
Then I add 2 tsp of cinnamon and 2 TBSP of brown sugar plus 1/2 cup of water or apple juice. It might seem like you need more liquid but trust me, you don't. The apples create a lot of their own juices and if you add too much your sauce will be too runny.
You can adjust the cinnamon and brown sugar amounts for your taste {or omit altogether} , I like a little cinnamon flavor and just a little sweetness to my sauce so this combination works best for me.
Cook in the crock pot on low for about 8 hours. You can stir it up every once in a while just to get things well mixed.
Towards the end of your cooking time you'll notice when you stir that the apples just mash up so easily. Continue stirring or mashing until it has the desired consistency. You can also process in a food processor or blender if you want it a little more smooth .... I happen to like mine with a little bit of chunkiness so I leave some chunks in the final product.
Ladle into jars and allow to cool. Process jars in a water bath canner - OR - simply freeze if you have the freezer space. I have done it both ways and it tastes awesome either way you can it.
My daughters and I LOVE this sauce, it tastes so fresh and yummy. ENJOY!!
1 comment:
That is pretty much how I do mine too! Love it. I love how you used all different jars! :)
You can now make apple butter with your apple sauce.
Take 2 quarts and put it into your crock pot with the lid askew (you can prop the lid with wooden spoons, or use a lid that's slightly too big). Cook overnight on low.
Then, in the morning, give it a good stir. Add 2 more quarts of apple sauce and sugar to taste (1-3 cups depending on the sweetness of the apples you used and how sweet you like your apple butter. We like ours a little less sweet).
Stir again, and cook on low for 2 hours (stir and check) and up to 2 more hours.
You could do the whole recipe on low on the stove for only 4 hours, but you'd have to stand and stir the whole time.
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