Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Apple Sauce

With all the apples from our trees, I finally decided to try to make some apple sauce. I used a handful of apples--about 10 or so. (Maybe more, maybe less).

I didn't follow a recipe, and I didn't bother to watch heating times. (This plays a crucial part in making apple sauce, as I've recently read).

First: I peeled, chopped, and cored the apples. Don't they look so juicy and delicious?


I actually ate several apple pieces as I was cutting them up. They looked too delicious and tasted SO good, and I just couldn't help myself.

Next, I experimented with a variety of flavors. I used cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and several other spices (which I can't remember now, LoL). I mixed them all up in the bowl. They ended up looking like spiced apples.


And then I cooked them on HIGH (big mistake) with several tablespoons of water. What I didn't realize is that you are supposed to lower the heat after the initial boil. So the stove was on high the entire time, and the apples got soft but dry. So I added more water than I needed.

When the apples were soft enough, I used a potato masher and mashed all the apples together until they were smooth. Then, I placed the mixture into two jars and had apple sauce as a side snack.

All those apples only made two jars--the apples really cook down. The end result was delicious. It tasted a bit tart and sweet at the same time. I enjoyed my experiment, and I will be making more apple sauce in the future.

The apple trees are still huge with tons and tons of apples.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Homemade applesauce, yum! I bet you could make all kinds of yummy stuff with the apples from your tree.

Mick said...

Apple sauce, yummy.
You seem to cook similar to my wife, ad-libbing as you go. Me, I have to have concise instructions at hand at all times throughout the cooking period and all the ingrediants ready for use.

My little Fuji apple tree has been in for 2 years now but no apples yet. Maybe next year..........

Dawn said...

Yum! Leaving a few chunks and adding crisp....you'd get apple pie filling, all sorts of stuff!Takes alot of apples, guess that's why some of us are blessed with hardy fruit trees.

Daphne Gould said...

Yum I envy you your apple tree. Though I did buy lots of apples the other day. I'm going to turn it into apple pie filling and freeze it. It won't actually ever be apple pie, but it will be apple crisp and apple cobbler. Yum Yum.

Susie said...

DP-Aren't you smart making applesauce!!! It looked really good!

tina said...

I sure could've used this post the other day when I made a ton applesauce. Isn't it great? I froze mine. I like the canning better as it is prettier and probably tastes better. I actually also prepared a post too:) More on why the apples have been so prolific this year though. We gardeners think alike.

Dan said...

I was just at a apple farm this weekend and picked up some honey crisp apples, they are the best.

Nice looking apple sauce, I bet it taste even better when the apples are from your own tree.

I've been craving homemade apple pie ever since you posted about the one you made. I guess I need to start baking.

Gail said...

Yummy, Applesauce was a staple at our house when we were kids...it really does make me think of my sisters when we were tots.

Gail

J said...

How cool! What kind of apples do you grow?

I love the chunky spicy look of the applesauce. Yummy! I bet the apples DO cook down quite a bit, you'd have to have A LOT of apples to make a significant amount of sauce.

Anonymous said...

Good for you, DP! Especially peeling all those apples without being daunted! (the way I would be). It looks delicious.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Homemade is the best, of course. I used to help my Grandmother make her applesauce. She flavored it with different things. She always made a couple jars with the little candies they called 'red hots' (spicy hot cinnamon).
Marnie

Skeeter said...

Yummy the sauce looks good! I am thinking apple turn overs, apple dumplins, apple fritters, oh so many things you can do with all those apples!

Eve said...

Apples are likt potatoes. There is just no end to what you can do with them.
I can't grow apples here because of the chilling requirement. They do have a couple they say will do well but I've tasted them and they just are not that good.
Don't forget to make some apple dumplings. That is my favorite way to eat them.

Robj98168 said...

Not a big fan of applesauce here. But I am a big fan of homeade apple butter, and they only way I know to make it is using applesauce.

Cindy said...

Your applesauce looks yummy with all those spices. I usually don't spice mine while making it but add some when we eat it.

Anonymous said...

Hi DP, I am so proud of all of your efforts at growing, preparing and blogging! Well done! I love applesauce with lots of spice, like you made yours. Measuring is not really necessary and the product so delicious. It looks pretty too in the jars.

Frances

Carla said...

lovely! Once we had 2 apple trees (apple trees don't live long here in east TX) with granny smith apples that were only good for apple sauce or butter. AHHH those were the days! Thanks for the memories:)

Cindy said...

Hi DP! I miss you, how is everything going?
~Cindy

Zach said...

AWE, those apples were adorable. I can't believe how flawless those apple were. Do you spray them? They were beautiful. My mom like to make dehydrated apple pieces... they are so sweet and yummy!

Mother Nature said...

Where are you? Vacation? Work? Still doing applesauce?:)

Dawn said...

Hi dp,
Wondering where you are?

Dan said...

where did DP go? seems to be the collective thought. :-)

Rose said...

Hi, DP; I've seen your name mentioned on other blogs many times--and even your photo on Gail's, I think--but I don't think I've ever visited before.

I have been making all kinds of dishes with apples, and I still have apples on the trees! This has been an exceptional year for them. You might also like to make apple butter; my recipe uses applesauce which you season and then bake in a low oven for a couple of hours. Takes lots of apples, though!

marmee said...

yummy, this does look delish!

John said...

Hi DP, haven't seen you post in a while, just checking to make sure you are ok?

DP Nguyen said...

Thank you for everyone's wondderful comments when I was in hiatus. They mean a lot to me!