I’m including this under Tips ‘N Tricks and not under recipes because I can’t believe I never made homemade applesauce before and I also can’t believe how easy it is to make. There is absolutely no comparison to store bought applesauce. Homemade is far superior, hands down. So if you’ve never tried making applesauce, now’s the time to change that.

This is a great way to use a lot of apples. I used between 4 and 5 pounds of apples and it filled one large mason jar with applesauce. So if you get a windfall of apples, like I did this year, and you’re not sure what to do with them – make applesauce. You won’t regret it.

The procedure is simple. Just peel and slice up apples – (I did 4 -5 pounds but you can do more). Add 1/2 cup apple juice or cider, the juice of a small lemon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon to taste and just a pinch of nutmeg. There are a whole bunch of recipes out there so I recommend doing a little research – and there is no limit to the spices you can add – you can really add any spices you want like allspice, or maple syrup or even a little butter. Just be careful with some of the more robust spices like allspice and nutmeg – they can take over the flavor. Be careful not to add too much cider or juice because it will not cook down well. Err on the side of less is more.

Pour it all into a pot and cook it uncovered for about 25 minutes until everything is reduced down.  The mixture should look somewhat like the picture below.

After that, just dump the mixture into a food processor and process. I like my apple sauce a little chunky so I pulsed the mixture. You can also just let it go to get a smooth consistency. The choice is up to you.

I was bowled over by how easy this was. I can tell you this, if I have the choice, I will never buy store bought applesauce again!