Raise your hand if you are someone who formed unwaivering opinions about certain foods first experienced in our youth? Now raise you hand if your adult tastebuds doesn't want to accept your childhood ones could have possibly gotten it wrong. Consider yourself an anomaly if you didn't raise your hand. Because there are many of us who even when cajoled into giving that 'sorry I don't like that food' another try we silently hold steadfast, emphatically protest, or begrudgingly take a teeny-tiny taste while simultaneously making a face. More often than not those early opinions were based on canned/jarred, not well prepared, imitation, or inexpensive varieties of certain foods. For me, the list of those 'thanks but no thanks' foods were asparagus, salmon, and applesauce. Today, I love all three of these. When my taste buds experienced the 'fresh' versions of each of them, so did my opinions. This reversal of fortune was akin to tasting something for the first time.
Since applesauce first made it's appearance in the mid-1700s, sauce prepared with apples dates back to medieval times in Europe. According to the Oxford English dictionary, credit for the first use of the word applesauce in print is given to Eliza Smith's Compleat Housewife, 9th edition, in 1769. Going back to the 1700s was the recommendation to serve 'some good applesauce' alongside roast pork. More than three centuries later, applesauce and pork continue to be thought of as a traditional pairing.
Many of us grew up on jarred applesauce. And I don't mean jars of lovingly made homemade applesauce. I mean the off-the-shelf ones found at the grocery store. It's not bad applesauce, but it's not great.
After stealing a taste of the applesauce off the plate of the person who shall remain nameless's pork chop lunch, I had a sudden urge to make some. The only problem was I didn't have a favorite applesauce recipe. In other words, I needed to find or create one. So I started going through some of my cookbooks. My theory of finding some in those compilation of recipes from home cooks cookbooks proved to be wrong. After going through another 30 or so cookbooks, I decided to search for one on the web. Within mili-seconds a plethora of homemade applesauce recipes appeared. So I started to read through them. Immediately I saw some consistent and inconsistent themes running through them: (1) The chunky or smooth texture was a personal preference.(2) Cooking options varied. It could be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, in an instant pot, and even in the oven. (3) Brown sugar was the most common sweetener used, although honey or maple syrup were top contenders. (4) Adding liquid to the cooking apples ranged from a couple of tablespoons to 2 cups. Apple cider was recommended more often than either apple juice or water. (5) Freshly squeezed lemon juice was used more often than not in the recipes reviewed. (6) Cinnamon was the one spice used consistently. Nutmeg, cloves, and allspice less frequently.
The thing making my head spin were the recommended choices or mix of tart and sweet apples needed to create a richly flavored applesauce. Yet, in spite of the applesauce decisions needing to be made, I kept thinking was 'given the chance between eating something not too bad or great, which one would I want?'. One of the many no-brainer questions I often ask myself.
I stopped looking at applesauce recipes when the number of apple varieties and combinations reached a dozen. Twelve was the arbitrarily chosen number for the day. Some of the apple options included: Honey Crisp only; Granny Smith only; Granny Smith and Gala; Golden Delicious and Gala; Granny Smith and Golden Delicious; Honey Crisp and McIntosh; McIntosh and Gala; McIntosh and Golden Delicious; Gala, Honey Crisp and Golden Delicious; and, lastly Honey Crisp and Gala. Clearly, I was going to have to decide for myself which apples to use.
My choice: Honey Crisp and Gala Apples. Three pounds of each of them. Apple cider, freshly squeezed lemon juice, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves rounded out the list of ingredients. Note: Instead of Gala Apples could also use Cortland apples.
Some applesauce recipes recommended keeping the skin on for added flavor. I opted to peel the apples as I didn't want one having a 'pinkish' color to it.
To cut into wedges or in slices, that too had to be decided. Wedges won. Each peeled and cored apple was cut into eight (8) wedges.
I didn't want to wait four or six hours for the apples to cook down in a slow cooker, so I went with the stove top cooking method using a large, cast iron Dutch oven. After the apple cider and melted sugar come to a boil, the heat was reduced to medium-low. Stirring the apples frequently so they cooked evenly, the apples were knife tender after 35 minutes.
After letting the cooked apples cool for approximately 10 minutes, they were transferred in batches (four batches to be exact) to the food processor. When pureeing the apples, transfer only the apples to the food processor. So what happens to all of the remaining flavorful liquid? It's cooked over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced by almost half. This extra step helps not only to further intensify the applesauce's flavor but when it's mixed into the pureed apples it ensures your applesauce has a thick (versus) runny texture. Note: If you use an immersion blender to puree the apples drain the liquid into a medium sized saucepan.
We like our applesauce a little on the chunkier side.
Homemade applesauce isn't just a side dish served cold or slightly warmed with pork. It can be a dessert when warmed and served over vanilla ice cream; added into a bowl of cooked oatmeal for an even more satisfying meal; served with potato pancakes, waffles, or pancakes; used to make muffins or cakes; or simply eaten out of a bowl. In other words, applesauce is really one the most versatile things you can make!
This Homemade Applesauce was highly flavorful. Warmed by savory spices it was both tart and sweet. After pairing the Honey Crisp and Gala apples together I am slightly reluctant to try other apple pairings. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but this applesauce was seriously amazing! With apple season now in full swing, you absolutely have to make it. Especially for any of your friends or family who don't hold applesauce in high regard. This homemade applesauce has the power to change long held 'not so favorable' perceptions. It is really that incredibly delicious.
Homemade Applesauce (inspired by multiple sources)
Makes about 6-7 cups of applesauce
Serves 8-12
Updated November 2021
Ingredients
6 pounds of apples (3 pounds Honey Crisp, 3 pounds Gala or Cortland), peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each (I often add one Granny Smith apple in for added tartness)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
generous pinch of cloves
1 cup fresh apple cider
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (110g) firmly packed light brown sugar (Note: I sometimes use 1/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup light brown sugar)
A generous pinch of Kosher salt
Directions
1. Put apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, apple cider, lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar in a large Dutch oven, preferably a cast iron one.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, place cover on pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 45-60 minutes or until the apples are knife tender.
3. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using a large bowl food processor, puree the apples only (leaving the liquid in the pan) in batches to desired consistency. Transfer applesauce to a large bowl. Note: I processed the apples in four batches.
5. Return pan with applesauce liquid to stove top. On medium-high heat, cook mixture until it is thickened and reduced (approximately 3-8 minutes). Pour and/or scrape the reduced liquid to the pureed apples. Stir to blend.
6. Store the applesauce in a tightly covered bowl or transfer to mason jars with lids.
7. Store in the refrigerator. Applesauce will last for up to 2-3 weeks stored a tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Depending on their size, three pounds of Honey Crisp apples might be 4-5 apples and three pounds of Gala (or Cortland) apples might also be 4-5 apples. (2) Half of a large lemon should yield two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. (3) I used fresh apple cider when making this applesauce. I am reluctant to recommend the use of water as a substitute. The cider added a layer of flavor water can not. (4) If you are looking for pork recipes to pair with this Homemade Applesauce, you might want to try these: Porchetta-Style Pork Roast, Slow Roasted Pork Roast, or Herbed Pork Sliders with Bacon Onion Jam.
Apple Orchard, Little Compton, RI (September 2018)
