Applesauce

I know, I’ve been MIA for a little bit but I’m back now!  And with a super easy applesauce recipe!  Two actually, cinnamon applesauce and strawberry applesauce.  Last weekend I went home to New Jersey and I went apple picking with my family.  As anyone who has gone apple picking knows, you end up with waaaay more apples than you can consume in a reasonable amount of time!  So besides making 20 apple pies, you should also make homemade applesauce!  These recipes are super easy to double or even triple so you can go through pounds of apples!

The history of applesauce is sadly not super exciting.  It was created in Germany during medieval times however many other countries also had similar applesauce products.  Applesauce was (and still is) a cheap and easy way to save food for winter.  It was also very popular to accompany applesauce with meats.  The first published recipe of applesauce was in the 1700’s and it was to go with a duck recipe.  The most popular meat pairing however, is with pork.

Applesauce can also be used as a substitute for butter or oil in baking.  It also promotes good digestion.  The high amount of pectin in apples helps remove waste and promote probiotic growth (sorry for the TMI but it is kind of interesting)!

Cinnamon & strawberry applesauce time!

 

Cinnamon Applesauce

• 5 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (save skins)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. In a medium saucepan, place apples, water and apple skins (only use long pieces they’ll be removed later unless you like the texture)
2. Bring the water to a boil, lower to a simmer and place lid on top of saucepan.  Let simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are very soft! 
3. Remove from heat, remove skins, add cinnamon and honey.
4. Using an immersion blender, regular blender or potato masher, puree applesauce until desired consistency.
5. Place in container, let cool and place in fridge!

 

Strawberry Applesauce

• 5 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (save skins)
• 15 strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. In a medium saucepan, place apples, strawberries, water and apple skins (only use long pieces they’ll be removed later unless you like the texture) 
2. Bring the water to a boil, lower to a simmer and place lid on top of saucepan.  Let simmer for 20 minutes or until apples and strawberries are very soft!
3. Remove from heat, remove skins, add honey.
4. Using an immersion blender, regular blender or potato masher, puree applesauce until desired consistency.                                                   
5. Place in container, let cool and place in fridge!   

 

Before yesterday I had never made homemade applesauce, but now that I know it’s this easy I’m definitely making it more often!  You can also experiment with other flavors, such as peach, blueberry or mango applesauce!