There are times in your life when all you (or your children) want is a comforting, sweet bowl of applesauce. You could be feeling unwell and looking to follow the BRAT diet (bananas – rice – applesauce – toast) for a day or two. You could be looking for a relatively healthy dessert choice (and you’ve already had your “mommy muffin” of the day). Or you could be craving deliciously fried latkes (potato pancakes) topped with applesauce and sour cream!
Whatever the reason, it’s actually incredibly easy to make homemade applesauce. By making homemade applesauce, you are able to create the perfect consistency, and you can also choose exactly how much sugar you want to add. In my opinion, this recipe easily beats out jarred applesauce in terms of taste and freshness! A big thank you to our friend Marla, who shared her special recipe with our family.
Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
4 apples (very firm, crisp apples, like Pink Lady or Gala)
1 cup of water
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
Ground cinnamon to taste
Method
Peel, core, and slice the apples: thinner slices will allow you to mash the apples to a finer puree, while thicker slices will make a chunkier applesauce. Add sliced apples to a medium saucepan along with the water and sugar. Stir to boil, then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and continuously stir and crush the apples (a potato masher works well! or a big fork) to achieve the consistency you want. Add cinnamon to taste.
You can strain out the water if you have too much liquid, but I find the ratio works! It probably keeps for about a week in the refrigerator, but our homemade applesauce gets gobbled up long before then. Enjoy!