Homemade Applesauce

I love it when the weather turns just a bit cooler outside, and you know Fall is coming!  That's the best time to buy local apples and make some homemade applesauce.  It's very simple to do and the taste is fantastic.  I can't keep it around our house ... the grandsons eat it up as fast as I make it!

Quarter apples and cook until soft with small amount of water to prevent sticking

All cooked and ready to process in a food mill or fruit and vegetable strainer attachment

Process through a food mill

Or process using Fruit Strainer attachment for Kitchen Aid

Recipe

Ingredients
10 lbs. or more crisp, crunchy apples (I use Honeycrisp)
water
sugar to taste (optional - no sugar is necessary if you don't want to add it)

Method
Stem apples and quarter. Put core and all into large stockpot, add a little bit of water to prevent sticking, about 1/2 cup or less. Cover pot and bring to boil over med-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Apples will get very soft and mushy. 

Once cooked, process apples though a food mill, fruit strainer attachment on Kitchen Aid Mixer or sieve to remove skins, and seeds over a large bowl. 

Taste applesauce and add sugar as desired, starting with 1/2 cup. At this point you could also add cinnamon if desired (adding sugar is completely optional - I never add any).

Pour applesauce into canning jars leaving 1/2 inch head-space. Remove air bubbles and process pints 15 minutes in boiling water bath (quarts 20 minutes). Remove jars and let cool on a kitchen towel on your counter top 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed if button on lid is fully depressed and will not move.

Add sugar if desired. I normally do not add any sugar.

Applesauce all done

Cooks Note - Recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Store sealed jars in pantry up to one year. Open jars need to be refrigerated.

Enjoy,
Mary

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