I'll start y'all with a very simple, very yummy Applesauce recipe that is sure to win over the hearts of kids from 1 to 92 (and beyond!). When you think of Applesauce, your mind may immediately go to the grocery isle and search for Mots or some pre-jared concoction. While these may be good on the fly, why not make your own? It is a lot easier than many think, and really nothing tastes better than fresh, homemade sweetness.
The Tools
A Good Peeler (I prefer an apple peeler/corer you crank, but a hand one will do just fine!)
A Corer or Apple Slicer (to core and slice Apple)
A Knife
Wooden Spoon
Stock Pot
Immersion Blender (You'll Thank Me Later)
Ingredients
(8-12) Honey Crips Apples (They're Sweet & Flavorful)
(1) Orange or (4) Clementines (Whatever is In Season)
(1) Bottle of Apple Juice or (1) Half-Gallon of Apple Cider (Your Choice)
(1) Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Sugar
Let's Cook
Peel, core and slice apples into slices and place into the pot.
Peal and pick apart your citrus and place on top of and around the apples within the pot. I like adding citrus to the apples to give it a little zing! and acid to the sweetness of the apples.
Once you have your apples and citrus in the pot, pour in your liquid into the pot- enough to cover about half the apples. You don't want to use too much otherwise your sauce will be viscus- the apples and citrus will cook down and add a little more natural liquid to the mixture.
Sprinkle your cinnamon over the top (a little goes a long way), as well as your sugar.
Cover your pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Once the liquid begins to boil, turn down to medium heat and let the apples and citrus begin to boil down. You'll begin to smell the cinnamon and apples and your kitchen will smell amazing.
Periodically give the mixture a stir, ensuring the apples become mushy and begin to cook down. Once your apples become fork tender, continue to stir and mush them down by hand. Once your apples have fully cooked, take the pot off the heat and grab your immersion blender.
Insert your immersion blender and begin to blend everything until smooth! Caution the apples will be hot and may bubble.
Once blended, allow the sauce to cool before putting into little containers for later noms!
Once you divide into little containers, place in the refrigerator overnight and ENJOY!
Some Tips and Tricks
The goal is to make your sauce smooth and creamy, but still have a little texture to it. You'll taste and feel it when warm (you want to sample to ensure it is sweet and with enough spice (cinnamon) to your taste- everyone varies in their taste.
You can always add more juice if you're not getting smooth enough- you can't take out.
If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor. I prefer the immersion because you can control how and where to bleed in your pot, its less clean up, and you'll find more use for the immersion blender as you continue to create.
If you have used a peeling/coring machine, you'll end up with apple skin spaghetti (as I call it). You can take this and add some flour to it and fry it up into apple crisp shoe strings to place on top of ice cream, or snack on.
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