We try to reserve Saturdays and Sundays for family time, and this week, visited the farmer’s market to let the kids see all the sights and sounds and to try to find some decently priced apples for applesauce.
I started making applesauce last year when we got an entire bushel through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and now it is the only kind of applesauce my kids (and husband) will eat. For anyone who has never tried homemade applesauce, there is a night and day difference between homemade and store bought (besides just the price).
Our adventure at the farmer’s market yielded about 50 lbs of apples (we got Dixie Reds, a variety we haven’t tried before) for about $20. This, combined with the other apples I have at home will probably make about 24 quart size jars of applesauce, which will last us about 4-6 months. The apples were not organic, but they were no-spray apples and had not been coated in wax. I soak in vinegar to get any chemicals or toxins off.
The only other ingredients I add to the applesauce are cinnamon and absorbic acid (vitamin c) powder. Since I order the cinnamon in bulk, I get half a pound for $3.10, and use much less than that for all the apples. Since I already had the jars, this was my total cost for 24 quarts of applesauce:
- $20 for apples
- $4.50 for lids for the canning jars
- $3.10 for cinnamon
- $1.50 for Vitamin C
Total is $29.10, or $1.21 a quart… much cheaper than store bought.
Here’s the recipe in case you are interested:
- Apples
- Cinnamon
- Vitamin C powder
Soak the apples in vinegar and water in the kitchen sink for a couple of hours, this will help get any chemicals off. Once they have soaked, rinse well or there will be a slight pickle taste to your applesauce.
Cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores and any leaves. I leave the skin 
on because we blend the applesauce later in the process and no pieces of skin are even noticeable, but feel free to peel if you prefer.
on because we blend the applesauce later in the process and no pieces of skin are even noticeable, but feel free to peel if you prefer.
Put all the apples in a crockpot or large pot on the stove with a little bit of water (less than a cup) and cinnamon to taste. I usually add a few tablespoons of cinnamon for each pot full of apples and about 1/2 tsp of absorbic acid.
Cook the apples on medium heat until soft. Time varies, but expect at least a few hours. The house will smell great all day as they cook!
When the apples are soft and skins are starting to fall off, turn off the heat and let the apples cool to closer to room temperature. Use either a blender or hand blender (not hand mixer) to puree the apples until smooth. You could also use an hand mill for this, but I have never tried it.
Reheat the now smooth applesauce to boiling and then turn off heat. Put into jars and can according to your canner instructions. I have been told that just hot water bath canning in a large pot works for fruit like apples, but have not tried this either. This applesauce can also be frozen or kept in the fridge for up to a month.
See how we actually made the applesauce.
Stay healthy and happy!
Fonte: http://wellnessmama.com/178/organic-homemade-applesauce/
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