Homemade Applesauce is an absolute FAVORITE in my house. My youngest will not even touch store brand applesauce now as she is partial to homemade. I love it, because it saves me money, it's healthier, and really I too think it is yummier.
People sometimes ask me how I have time to do it and though it does take a little effort my wonderful crockpot takes over the hardest part, which used to be standing for hours over a hot stove. I will break it all down for you as it truly is simple.
First you start with your supplies. I have found the most important part is choosing apples that you like otherwise. For instance my family is a huge fan of Macintosh apples so I often use those when I am making my applesauce. Feel free to mix apples. I often hit the farmer's market for the best price and they have a limited amount of each type so quite often I throw 2 or 3 different types of apples in each batch.
Next is peeling each apple. I have upgraded to a hand crank peeler from pampered chef, but if you don't have one a simple vegetable peeler will do. I have been doing it for years this way.
Next, core and slice the apple. I also like to keep a little paring knife on hand to get any missed seeds.
My little helper loves to collect the apples and fill our bowl. How many apples will depend on how big your crockpot is. We have found filling this particular bowl for us fills our crockpot to 3/4s which is how full you's like to fill yours. For us it is about 8-10 apples.
Apples naturally have alot of juice in them so all I add is a little brown sugar(about 1/3 c) and sprinkle with cinnamon, then set on low to cook.
I always check back about 1.5-2 hours back and begin to use my potato masher to "sauce" the apples. When they are ready you will be able to tell because they breakdown fairly easily. I will do this a few times usually over a 3 hour period or so. Again this may vary on the size and heat of your crockpot.
When all the apples are broke down to the desired consistency poor in a dish and allow to cool. We use pyrex for ours simply so we are able to make several batches and freeze.
No comments:
Post a Comment