I took the girls to a nearby pick-your-own apple orchard last Friday. I picked up a bushel of apple "seconds" for only $4! Since they are pretty soft, they are perfect for applesauce, which is very simple to make.
Start out by peeling and coring your apples. I filled my crockpot about 3/4 full.
The other 4 ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water) are really pretty optional and the amounts are to taste. I used a 1/2 cup of sugar, a tsp. of cinnamon, a 1/2 cup of water, and a sprinkling of lemon juice. I think it was a little too sweet for my taste, so I will probably go with less on my next batch.
Thinly slice the apples and toss with lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and water. Set the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. I know they don't recommend lifting the lid during cooking, but I found that stirring the apples every hour or so made them cook more evenly. (I had 3 crockpots all going at the same time!)
Use a hand blender for smooth applesauce or leave as is for chunky. It can be refrigerated for up to a week, frozen, or canned.
Looks delicious! I have been wanting to can applesauce for awhile...do you use any preservative like absorbic acid when you can or just leave it as is?
ReplyDeleteToo funny I already have a bunch of apples I washed and are waiting to be made into applesauce too! Yummy!
ReplyDeleteHow simple! I never considered doing this in a crockpot. Yep, this is a keeper recipe. Your photos make us hungry, too.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so good! Great price too! I was thinking about canning some apple butter to add into our oatmeal this fall. I love this time of year!! :)
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