Homemade applesauce tastes better than industrial versions and contains no added refined sugar. We teach you how to turn apples into a delicious puree with just two ingredients.
Applesauce is delicious without a doubt. However, most commercial products contain too much sugar.
If you want to do without it, you can easily cook applesauce in your kitchen and it will be equally appetizing because the fruit is sweet enough in itself.
In addition, if you want to make vegan baked goods you will do very well to always have homemade applesauce available: it is ideal as a binder and as a substitute for the egg in various doughs.
RECIPE FOR APPLESAUCE OR APPLESAUCE YOURSELF
To make applesauce you need very few ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 2 kg of apples, if possible organic
- 200 ml water
- The juice of half an organic lemon
- Clove, cinnamon stick, vanilla or other spices
Elaboration:
- Peel and remove the heart of the apples. You can also process the unpeeled apples to make the result healthier. Most vitamins and minerals are found under the shell.
- Cut it into small pieces.
- Put the apple pieces in a saucepan with the water. Add the juice of half a lemon to prevent darkening.
- Bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Now you can crush the apples. Choose the texture you like, thicker or thinner. If you want something more liquid, you can pour a little more water.
- Fill sterilized canned jars with applesauce, close them tightly instantly and let them cool upside down.
VARIANTS OF APPLESAUCE
To give a little more flavor to your homemade compote, you can cook along with the apples some cloves and half a cinnamon stick in a tea bag. Be sure to remove the sachet before puree.
You can also add the pulp of a vanilla pod to apples and cook the shaved pod as well. A piece of ginger, which is removed before the puree or mixed with it, provides a spicy touch that makes you warm.
In addition to spices, you can also experiment with other fruits. Replace some of the apples with plums, pears or other seasonal fruit of your liking.
HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE LAST LONGER
The finished applesauce will keep for a few months if stored in a cool, dark place. If you use glass jars with hermetic seal, you can apply a simple trick to make it last up to a year: you just have to boil the full and tightly closed jars in hot water at 90 ºC for 30 minutes.
Applesauce is delicious and healthy on its own. It also tastes good as an ingredient in a dessert, for example with yogurt, quark or ice cream, or with breakfast of crepes or pancake snacks. With a beautiful label, it can also be turned into a nice gift or detail for someone special.
WHICH VARIETY OF APPLE IS MOST SUITABLE?
Depending on the season, the taste of the puree may vary a bit. Apples are available in markets throughout the year, but it is recommended that you make the compote when they are in their high season, from August to October. It is at that moment when the fruits have more aroma and that is what we want in our applesauce.
Sour varieties are particularly suitable, such as Boskoop, Braeburn, Cox Orange or Granny Smith apples. These varieties have their own aromatic taste. Their pulp disintegrates quickly and therefore they are easy to boil.
You can also use Golden Royal, Gala, Fuji or Pink lady apples, which are easier to find. You can even mix several different types of apples. You can try different recipes and varieties and find out which of them you like the most.
