Saturday, September 24, 2011

Naked Applesauce....just one ingredient


Naked applesauce...ok, I broke down and sprinkled in some cinnamon.

Once again, my friend and co-worker, Brenda, was kind enough to bring me some produce....this time some apples. I'm not quite sure where she got the apples (and I'm not asking--lol), but I was happy she shared some with me. The thing is, while these apples were tasty--crisp and tart/sweet--they were pretty ugly.


When life gives you ugly apples....make applesauce!

I managed to eat a few...really who cares what they look like? Still, I had several left and, while I am the queen of naughty desserts (stay tuned for the Apple Crack I plan to make), I was coming down from a sugar high when I decided to make some good, old-fashioned applesauce. Seriously, there is no recipe for this....just follow along.


Rinse off your apples. I'm not going to peel these...just make sure to use organic apples if you don't. Your local apple orchard may just sell you some of their less-than-perfect apples for a good price. It doesn't hurt to ask.


Cut off any real icky spots (no worms, please) and then just quarter the apples and put them, seeds and all, in a large saucepan. The water from rinsing them is probably all you need, but if your apples aren't very juicy, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pot.

Now, put a cover on the saucepan and place the pot over medium heat. Let the apples cook (add a little more water if it seems that they are scorching) until they are fork tender, 15-20 minutes. They will smell awesome. 


This is a food mill. They cost about $25 and come in handy for many things. I like to put roasted tomatoes through the mill for excellent tomato soup. 


Add the cooked apples to the food mill and turn the crank clockwise and then counter-clockwise several times (this  gets all the pulp out of there and leaves behind the skin and seeds). Depending on how many apples you have, you may have to batch this out.



Stir in a bit of cinnamon, if you like. It really doesn't need sugar--trust me. The sweetness will really depend on the kind of apple you use. Try Golden Delicious if you like it sweeter.

What kind of apples should you use? Shoot, I wasn't even sure what kind I had--I'm thinking they were McIntosh--but use a good cooking apple. Haralson, Honeycrisp. McIntosh, Golden Delicious....the possibilities are endless. If you are into canning (I don't have a clue how.. plus I made a fairly small batch), go ahead and do it while the sauce is warm. I like to eat it while it's warm...


Yum...peanut butter on raisin bread toast with warm applesauce.

How do you eat your applesauce?

12 comments:

  1. I think you link to this post is broken. I saw it in Google Reader but couldn't connect from there. We usually break out the applesauce when serving pork. There was one other time I always looked for it though. My Mom and Grandmother would often make Bulgur Pilaf. I never cared for that growing up - thought it was blah and on the dry side, so I would always stir in a little applesauce. Yum! I never really thought about it before with so many other kitchen tools, but maybe I should reconsider a food mill.

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  2. Chris, I think it may be a Google issue...I couldn't open someone else's link...

    The food mill does come in handy--especially this time of year! :)

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  3. The applesauce looks scrumptious! Homemade is the best!

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  4. Cathy, now you have me feeling guilty and adventurous all at the same time, I have three apple trees out back that are sporting many of these not-so-pretty apples and I could be using them for a good purpose! I'll have to see if I can find the time to get at 'em.

    Will you be attending the class reunion? We will, but alas, my plan to have lost 100 pounds has failed, Big Time.

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  5. Lee, Angie--homemade can be easier than driving out to get it, too. LOL

    Karen, unfortunately we can't come this year...Pete is working and we can't leave my MIL alone for long. I was looking forward to it, too--had a spot on the calendar at work all blocked out. I guess I'll have 5 years to drop the weight now. :) Please give me a play-by-play on any good gossip...

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  6. Congratulations on the Top 9. Wonderful!

    I love making applesauce. I love picking apples. I always make some with a variety you can't get at the stores. This looks good enough to eat right off the screen.

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  7. Just made the recipe, so good! I usually add sugar, but love this version so much more. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the top 9!

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  8. New follower. This is a lovely way to do apple sauce. Congrats on top 9!

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  9. Wow. Thanks! I now have the confidence and inspiration to try making applesauce. I bought an old farm with an old old apple tree on it that has some pretty good looking organic apples on it.

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  10. That's just how I like my applesauce; pure fruit! I am hoping that I can find some good apples now that I am in Florida, but I have my doubts.

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  11. My old well worn food mill bit the dust last year during apple season. I think once you taste home made applesauce you will never look at store bought again. Congratulations on the Top 9, when I checked you were number 5.

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