As promised, once my boys picked all of the apples off of our tree [see HERE], we processed them to make a big batch of applesauce. Applesauce is so simple to make, and delicious to eat. For us, it was a great way to make use of our harvest of super-tart apples.
Applesauce is one of those things that is made almost entirely to taste (well, when you make it yourself instead buying it pre-made), so I’ll describe how we made ours below.
Notes
Do you like sweet applesauce? Add more honey. Want to avoid added sweeteners? Don't add any honey at all. I added what, to my mind, was a lot of honey (we try to go easy on added sweeteners in our house), but our applesauce still had a tartness to it that I enjoyed. The right amount is what tastes good to you and your family. I happen to like spicy applesauce, so I added quite a bit of cinnamon and Chai Spice Mix. I just kept tasting and added small amounts until I liked the flavor.
Ingredients
- Apples
- Honey, to taste
- Cinnamon, optional, to taste
- Chai Spice Mix, optional, to taste
- Water
Instructions
- Remove stem and core, and cut up apples into bite-sized pieces. (NOTE: I left the peel on my apples, it makes the process much easier and faster, and it also makes it so the applesauce has more fiber. Feel free to peel your apples, if desired).
- Place the apples pieces in a crockpot along with a small amount of water. I used enough water to just cover the bottom of my crockpot. This helps to keep the apples from sticking as they cook down.
- Let the apples cook over low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you notice any sticking.
- As your apples soften and cook down, taste them and begin to season your apple sauce. I added generous amounts of honey, cinnamon, and Chai Spice Mix to my applesauce. How much you add depends entirely upon your tastes. That said, note that the tastes meld and become more concentrated as the applesauce cooks. With that in mind, you’ll want to add most of your seasoning and toward the end of the cooking. If your apples are already sweet enough and you don't want a seasoned sauce, you can simply leave them as is and cook them into amazing plain applesauce.
- I started my apples cooking in the morning and declared the applesauce finished after dinner. During this time, it cooked down quite a bit.
- Place applesauce in jars to store. Use within 1 week if stored in refrigerator, or freeze to store for longer periods.
Simple Homemade Applesauce
Apples
Honey, to taste
Cinnamon, optional, to taste
Chai Spice Mix (recipe HERE), optional, to taste
Water
Remove stem and core, and cut up apples into bite-sized pieces. (NOTE: I left the peel on my apples, it makes the process much easier and faster, and it also makes it so the applesauce has more fiber. Feel free to peel your apples, if desired).
Place the apples pieces in a slow cooker along with a small amount of water. I used enough water to just cover the bottom of my slow cooker. This helps to keep the apples from sticking as they cook down.
Let the apples cook over low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you notice any sticking.
As your apples soften and cook down, taste them and begin to season your apple sauce. I added generous amounts of honey, cinnamon, and Chai Spice Mix to my applesauce. How much you add depends entirely upon your tastes. That said, note that the tastes meld and become more concentrated as the applesauce cooks. With that in mind, you’ll want to add most of your seasoning and toward the end of the cooking. If your apples are already sweet enough and you don’t want a seasoned sauce, you can simply leave them as is and cook them into amazing plain applesauce.
I started my apples cooking in the morning and declared the applesauce finished after dinner. During this time, it cooked down quite a bit.
Place applesauce in jars to store. Use within 1 week if stored in refrigerator, or freeze to store for longer periods.
(NOTE: Do you like sweet applesauce? Add more honey. Want to avoid added sweeteners? Don’t add any honey at all. I added what, to my mind, was a lot of honey (we try to go easy on added sweeteners in our house), but our applesauce still had a tartness to it that I enjoyed. The right amount is what tastes good to you and your family. I happen to like spicy applesauce, so I added quite a bit of cinnamon and Chai Spice Mix. I just kept tasting and added small amounts until I liked the flavor).
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