Homemade Applesauce Recipe – thanks, Gram!

Why does fall seem to kick in your newly found ‘mom’ instincts? I feel like the cold weather and changing of leaves also transforms me into a Stepford Wife – where I need to decorate my home into something found in Home and Garden, sew and design Maximo’s halloween costume  from scratch and pin to Pinterest, and bake pies, pumpkin, apple everything. Including this homemade applesauce recipe from my gram. W-T-F. Like I don’t have enough going on?

Well, so much for homemade everything – I’ve been so busy I had to take Dunkin Donuts and last minute beer from the grocery store with JETS logos to the Steelers Tailgate last weekend. 

However, I DID make the homemade applesauce on Friday.

I ended up stumbling into a farmer’s market while in Pittsburgh, and we all know I am a sucker for fresh produce and supporting local farmers, so I stocked up so much I almost had to kick Maximo out of his own stroller…including a huge ‘farmer’s dozen’ of local apples.

So I dialed up my aunt and gram and asked for her famous country applesauce recipe so I could attempt it. It’s AMAZING DELICIOUS, and once I got the recipe – AMAZING EASY to make! Since I am on this healthy kick – I decided to share this recipe because it’s THAT EASY plus is so much more healthy than store bought with all that extra sugar that you don’t need! (and BONUS – your house smells like one big cinnamon stick for the entire day…. OMG).

Plus – now that I have the resealable food pouches from Resqueeze, applesauce would be the perfect homemade healthy snack to put in them! (post coming next week about how awesome and efficient these are!)

 

Gram’s Homemade Country AppleSauce Recipe

– 1 dozen Golden Delicious (listen people, Golden Delicious Apples are the secret – and the apple farmer of 20+ years told me this secret – they don’t break down as easily into mush, so you have a chunkier-tastier applesauce!)  You can use only 6 apples if you want to make a smaller batch as well.

– Cinnamon to taste

– Sugar if needed (very little at the end!)

Start by peeling and cutting your apples into about 4-5 pieces (no smaller because they will break up naturally as you heat them!)

Place them in a pot of water to keep them from turning brown as your cutting them.

Once they are all cut, drain all of the water except for about 1/3 cup.

Place on medium heat to boil, stirring constantly to make sure they don’t stick or burn. This will take about 30 min give or take.

As they start to mush, you can use a masher to break them  up (or as us New Yorkers with no utensils – I use my scrambler aka the whisk haha)

At this point, I sprinkle in just a dusting of sugar, and lots of cinnamon. I like cinnamon – plus it’s GOOD for you!

Then, while it’s still warm, I scoop it into Mason Jars (picked these bad boys up at Michael’s in a 6-pack for like $5). You don’t have to – but it is a nice touch when you hand them to your neighbors and you look all put together like Martha Stewart. Just make sure you actually brushed your hair and put a bra on before you walk out of your apartment! (true story)

 

Looking for more apple recipes?

Try my Homemade Cider Apple Pie Recipe! or

Paleo Apple Bacon Stuffed Porkchops – caveman approved!