There are some things that are just stupid easy to make at home. Homemade apple sauce is one. And the best part is that you can customize your applesauce to your taste. Add cinnamon or sugar or other spices to make it your own.
This is kind of a no-recipe recipe so sorry for that.
You’ll need apples, a pot with a lid and a strainer or food mill.
First start with fresh apples. I usually allow one per person and cut them into halves or quarters. I don’t bother with peeling them. Just toss them into a pot.
You don’t want the applesauce to be thin and watery but you do need some water to cook the apples. I add about 1/4″ to the bottom of the pot. Place a lid on top and cook over low to medium heat until the apples are soft and mushy.
Nearly done!
Once the apples are soft, you need to make them into sauce. (I know, duh.) To do that you’ll need a strainer or food mill. I picked up this Endurance food mill at my local kitchen store Spoon and Whisk. (#shoplocal)
If that’s not an option, you can order one from Amazon. (This is an affiliate link – if you order, I receive a small commission.)
This tool is not a one-hit-wonder in the kitchen. I use it to rice potatoes and when I make my oven roasted tomato sauce.
This food mill comes with three different sized strainers. After experimenting with the medium sized one, I learned that I prefer using the smallest. Since the apples aren’t peeled or cored, little pieces of skin or the hard little pieces of core can get through the larger disks.
Once you run all the apples through the food mill, give them a taste. Depending on the apples you use, they can be perfectly sweet on their own. If they’re not add sugar. You can also add cinnamon at this point if you like. Homemade apple sauce is great warm or cold.
Your homemade apple sauce will be a pretty pink if you leave the skins on and use red apples. So, go for it. Once you start making your own apple sauce you will have a hard time going back to store bought. Enjoy!