An Apple a Day

An Apple A Day

Delicious Applesauce

We all know the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. While we here at Mile Wide Crafts would never spurn a friendly doctor, we do believe in the importance of eating a well-balanced diet, including a wide variety of fruits and veggies. For those who object to apples, please feel free to substitute pears instead of or in addition to apples.

 

So, for today’s craft, we venture into the world of kitchen crafts. Making good homemade applesauce is truly an art form. Applesauce seems like such an innocent food. After all how hard can it be to mash up some cooked apples, right? But applesauce is so much more than that. Without the right blend of apples, the sauce can be too watery, too dry or mealy, too sweet, or too tart. Without the right technique you can end up scorching the apples or causing them to gel too much. 

Apples

Fortunately, today we have one of our favorite contributors, G.A.P. to guide us through the process. G.A.P. has kindly shared her many years of experience making excellent applesauce with us, so without further ado, we’ll get started.

Materials:

Apples, the varieties should be good for cooking, McIntosh and Empire are good options

Pot, deep enough to hold the fresh apples without boiling over

Colander or Food Mill

Heat-proof bowl for catching the finished sauce

Instructions:

 

 Step 1: Wash the apples

Since I’m going to cook these apples with the skins on, I wash them first. [Note from MWC: cooking the apples with the skins on generally increases the nutritional value of the finished sauce.]

Apples ready for their bath

I like to use apples for sauce toward the end of the season; I think they have a more mellow taste than when freshly picked. 

[Note from MWC: Please notice the different varieties of apples combined in this sauce. McIntosh, Empire, Greening, and Granny Smith are all good choices. Most people find that "cooking" apples, or ones that aren't too sweet work well. The exact combination is largely a matter of taste, so eat a few apples to see what will work well together.]

Step 2: Quartering the Apples

I quarter the apples and remove the stem and seeds.  Inspect for and remove any damaged areas. [Note from MWC: if you use fresh, organic apples, check for worms and other critters at this point, too.]

Quartered apples with stems and seeds removed

 

Step 3: Cook the apples

When the pot is full of quartered apples, I add enough liquid to cover the bottom and prevent burning.  Usually, I add water; this time I added apple cider, made locally at Ochs Orchard (https://www.ochsorchard.net), which contains no preservatives or sugar.  Sometimes I add a couple of cinnamon sticks at this point.

Apples and liquid in the pot, ready to cook

The apples are cooked over medium heat until I hear the liquid beginning to boil.  Then, I turn down the heat to medium-low and partially cover.

Step 4: Testing for doneness

It’s finished cooking when the apples are soft and look fluffy. [Note from MWC: cooking time will depend on the amount and variety of apples used.]

Cooked apples

 

This pot-full cooked for 40 minutes (while I read the paper). I checked it after 20 minutes and stirred it a couple of times. 

Step 5: Process the apple mush

I ladle the cooked apples into my mother’s 1930s colander.  [Note from MWC: This can be a steamy process, so please be careful.]

Apples spooned into the colander

You can buy similar equipment on the internet or at some local kitchen supply stores; some people use a Foley food mill. [Note from MWC: most equipment sold for making home made baby food will work for making apple sauce. If you search online for equipment, try terms like food mill, baby food mill, applesauce mill, etc. If you buy a colander, look for one with a wooden mull rather than a plastic one, as the plastic doesn't survive well at applesauce temperatures.]

Saucy happenings

The wooden mull goes round and round.  It’s very satisfying to see the sauce develop.  I always use a glass container so I can see it happening!

Step 6: Final additions 

The finished apple sauce is about 12 cups.  There’s enough left-over on the utensils for a sample taste!

Finished applesauce

At this point you could add sugar or honey if you wished. My step-mother would add a package of cinnamon red-hots. They melted, coloring the sauce rosy, and as a kid, I thought it very good. [Note from MWC: Cinnamon red-hots are also sold as cinnamon nonpareils]

Don’t be concerned if the sauce looks loose when it’s hot.  It will thicken as it cools.  Refrigerate when cool enough.

Apple peels go in the compost, and there’s a little cleanup – and you’re done!

We hope you enjoy your applesauce. Please comment below on what apples you chose and how your sauce tasted. As always, if you have questions, please post those below, too.