Homemade Applesauce
Making homemade applesauce is a can’t-miss fall activity (especially if you’ve got kids to help).
In the best scenario, you’d hit up an orchard first to pick your own, filling your bag with fresh apples while soaking up the crisp air, sipping cider, and embracing the crunch of leaves beneath your feet.
At home in the kitchen, you start with peeling and coring the apples (a process that can feel pretty meditative if you do it right). Then, it’s really just about boiling and mashing.
Tip: When it’s done, taste the applesauce before adding sugar. If the apples are fresh, it’s likely you won’t need any at all. But by tasting it first, you can add as little as possible until you get it to the level of sweetness you’re looking for.
Heat it up before eating, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top, and enjoy in a cozy, oversized sweater.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water
- 3 pounds apples, peeled and cored
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar in the raw (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Fill large pot with 1 cup of water and place over medium heat.
- Add apples, cut into very small pieces and cinnamon.
- When ingredients start to boil, lower temperature to simmer.
- Add more water if needed to keep apples from sticking.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mash, cool, and serve.
- You can also run through food mill — an activity kids love!
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
Applesauce is a classic dish that never gets old, and you can eat it as part of a healthy breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert. Apples are a good source of fiber and come with plenty of antioxidants. Some research has even shown total cholesterol and (bad) LDL cholesterol may decrease with regular apple consumption (so it really does keep the doctor away…). Cinnamon is also a nutrition superstar.