Through My Kitchen Window – Applesauce Fix

I’m pretty positive we’ve run out of applesauce. Last month I was unsure. But now I’m positive. My freezer inventory sheet claims that three containers are still in my deep freezer. But they can’t be found. I suspect my husband went freezer diving for a late night treat.

This is akin to a crisis in my house. We love applesauce. Correction. We love homemade applesauce. It’s a necessary side to cake. An excellent substitute for syrup on pancakes. And a great frosty snack straight from the freezer.

Luckily, applesauce is super easy to make. And yes, you can do it without a Victorian strainer or food mill. Look at this. I call it my applesauce fix recipe.

10-Minute Applesauce
Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

Yield: 1 quart
6 apples
1 cup apple cider or juice

2 Tb butter
2 Tb honey (optional)

½-1 tsp cinnamon
You can use any variety of sweet or sour apples. Peel, core, and chop them. Mix the apples, juice, butter, honey, and cinnamon in a saucepan or microwave safe bowl.

In the saucepan, bring the apples to a simmer, reduce to low and cook until soft. In the microwave, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap leaving one corner open, and microwave 10 minutes.

Transfer the soft apples to a blender and puree, or coarsely mash with a potato masher. Serve hot or cold.

Options: Leave the apple skins on for a healthier (and chunkier) applesauce. Skip the pureeing and call them stewed apples. Substitute brown sugar for the honey. Add a few Tbs of cognac or brandy. Substitute plums or strawberries for one of the apples.

At some point in the next month, I will dig out the Victorian strainer attachment to my Kitchen Aid (so handy) and buy several bushels of apples. It will take slightly longer than 10 minutes, and be a lot messier – but the freezer full of applesauce is worth it.

If you are interested in freezing or water bath canning applesauce, I suggest you search online for step-by-step instructions. The internet has a myriad of recipes and ideas to provide an applesauce fix.

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