Apples, pears and apricots waiting to be made into applesauce
This is a very easy recipe, and the applesauce is absolutely delicious — a lot tastier than store-bought applesauce. It’s also much less expensive than most organic, store-bought applesauce, especially if you buy apples at a good price. (I find that Trader Joe’s 2-pound bags of organic apples are usually available at a reasonable price. These apples are the smaller size ones, but that’s just fine!)
I shared some of my homemade applesauce with my friends at work today and they loved it! Unfortunately, I had none left when one of my colleagues came into the kitchen foraging for a snack and left with a plate of potato chips and a bottle of orange soda…his fruits and veggies! : – (
BASIC RECIPE
Ingredients
4 pounds of apples – any you like. Here is what I used:
- 3 pounds of organic honey crisp apples (or another rather sweet apple with thin skins)
- 1 pound of organic Granny Smith apples (or another rather tart apple)
Notes:
- If you can, use only organic apples. That’s because apples are one of the most pesticide-laden fruits according to EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides – a reliable resource.
- You might not want to make applesauce with all Granny Smith apples because it would be too tart. And I found that the skins of the Granny Smiths were quite thick and more noticeable in the applesauce than the skins of the Honey Crisp apples.
1 cup of filtered water
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or less if you prefer a less tart applesauce)
Directions
Cut the apples (skins and all) into chunks. Put the apple chunks into the crock pot, add the water, and lemon juice; cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the lid and use a potato masher to lightly mash the apples until they turn into a chunky applesauce. But keep mashing if you want a less chunky sauce.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
Instead of just apples, use apples plus:
- Pears
- Frozen organic berries
- Dried cranberries
- Dried chopped apricots (I like the unsulfured apricots. That’s why you see brown-looking apricot pieces in the photo.)
You may want add:
- Ceylon cinnamon . Sprinkle cinnamon on the individual servings, as desired.
- Mix some ground flax seeds into the applesauce.
- Top with yogurt.
- Top with walnuts.
More information….
- Heirloom apples in the USA – Many hairloom apples are in danger of extinction… See what the Ark of Taste program sponsored by Slow Food USA is doing to keep these apples and other heirloom fruits and vegetables from going extinct.
- Grow your own organic apple trees! Learn how from Michael Phillips of Lost Nation Orchard, author of The Apple Grower.
Enjoy and be healthy!
~Leni
