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Making AppleSauce - A Really Easy MOO To Avoid Waste
This week I had a big box of apples to process, so I made applesauce.
It is so easy to make, and to preserve. You can either freeze it, water bath it or pressure can it, depending on your style of preserving.
And it's easy to cook up too. Honestly, you can't get much easier than peel, core, chop and cook. That's it! Those are the steps you follow to make applesauce.
Why make applesauce? Because it not only tastes great but there are so many ways to use it. Applesauce isn't just baby food!
I use applesauce to replace butter or oil in baking. Yes, I do! If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup melted butter, I simply use 1/2 a cup of applesauce. It cuts the fat way down, without changing the taste or the texture of the cake or muffin or slice. Just brilliant and so, so easy.
But adding a dollop of applesauce to your cereal in the morning lifts it to something rather extravagant. Added to muesli or weet-bix or porridge gives extra taste and nutrition.
Or add a tablespoon or two to a cake or muffin batter, or to pancakes. Again, adding flavour, moisture and nutrition. And the way most people eat these days, adding nutrition where you can is important.
So how do you make applesauce?
Step 1. Wash and dry your apples. If they have labels on them, take them off.
Step 2. Peel and core. I use the Slinky to do this, but a vegetable peeler or paring knife works just as well.
Step 3. Chop. I like to cut the apples into quarters, but as they'll be pureed you can just chop them up roughly.
Step 4. Put them into a large pot and add 2 - 3 tablespoons of cold water (you don't need much). Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the apples break down. This doesn't take long, apples cook down very quickly, so 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how many apples you are cooking.
Step 5. Let the applesauce cool for a few minutes then either use a stick blender or food processor to puree until smooth. If you like a thicker, chunkier applesauce, use a potato masher or fork to break the apple chunks down.
Step 6. Preserve the applesauce. There are several ways you can do this.
1. Freeze it. Let the applesauce cool, then portion into containers or ziplock bags, label, date and freeze it.
2. Water bath it.
3. Pressure can it.
Choose the preserving method you prefer. For this applesauce I chose to water bath can the apples. The jars were sterilised in the oven and the hot applesauce was put into hot jars, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice added to each jar leaving a half inch of headspace, rims wiped with a damp vinegar soaked cloth, lid on, ring on and into the water bath. These were processed for 20 minutes (pint jars).
I don't add sugar or any spices when cooking because I never know how I'll be using the applesauce. Add any sweetener or spices once you know what you'll be doing with the applesauce. Most apples don't need any additional sweetener, the exception being Granny Smiths.
It is so easy to make, and to preserve. You can either freeze it, water bath it or pressure can it, depending on your style of preserving.
And it's easy to cook up too. Honestly, you can't get much easier than peel, core, chop and cook. That's it! Those are the steps you follow to make applesauce.
Why make applesauce? Because it not only tastes great but there are so many ways to use it. Applesauce isn't just baby food!
I use applesauce to replace butter or oil in baking. Yes, I do! If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup melted butter, I simply use 1/2 a cup of applesauce. It cuts the fat way down, without changing the taste or the texture of the cake or muffin or slice. Just brilliant and so, so easy.
But adding a dollop of applesauce to your cereal in the morning lifts it to something rather extravagant. Added to muesli or weet-bix or porridge gives extra taste and nutrition.
Or add a tablespoon or two to a cake or muffin batter, or to pancakes. Again, adding flavour, moisture and nutrition. And the way most people eat these days, adding nutrition where you can is important.
So how do you make applesauce?
Step 1. Wash and dry your apples. If they have labels on them, take them off.
Step 2. Peel and core. I use the Slinky to do this, but a vegetable peeler or paring knife works just as well.
Step 3. Chop. I like to cut the apples into quarters, but as they'll be pureed you can just chop them up roughly.
Step 4. Put them into a large pot and add 2 - 3 tablespoons of cold water (you don't need much). Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the apples break down. This doesn't take long, apples cook down very quickly, so 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how many apples you are cooking.
Step 5. Let the applesauce cool for a few minutes then either use a stick blender or food processor to puree until smooth. If you like a thicker, chunkier applesauce, use a potato masher or fork to break the apple chunks down.
Step 6. Preserve the applesauce. There are several ways you can do this.
1. Freeze it. Let the applesauce cool, then portion into containers or ziplock bags, label, date and freeze it.
2. Water bath it.
3. Pressure can it.
Choose the preserving method you prefer. For this applesauce I chose to water bath can the apples. The jars were sterilised in the oven and the hot applesauce was put into hot jars, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice added to each jar leaving a half inch of headspace, rims wiped with a damp vinegar soaked cloth, lid on, ring on and into the water bath. These were processed for 20 minutes (pint jars).
I don't add sugar or any spices when cooking because I never know how I'll be using the applesauce. Add any sweetener or spices once you know what you'll be doing with the applesauce. Most apples don't need any additional sweetener, the exception being Granny Smiths.
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