Homemade Applesauce With No Added Sugar

[Veggie PAK]

I was looking for good apples to make applesauce with. I bought a bushel of Stayman apples because the Farmer said that people were coming back to her saying that those apples made the best applesauce ever! They were right! I made 8 quarts of cinamon applesauce with no added sugar, and it tastes very good with the cinnamon. However, I made 6 quarts of plain applesauce with nothing added and it is the best I ever tasted! Unbelievably delicious! Buttery sweet and smooth. I just used the recipe from the Ball book but didn't use the option of added sugar. These apples were selling on the shelf for $1.89 a pound, but I bought the whole bushel box for just $34! It's so good that I'm going to see if I can get two more bushel boxes for making a year's supply of applesauce.

The catch is, with both batches, in order to reach boiling without scorching or burning, I had to mix it for two hours at low heat during the process because it is so thick. On the second batch, since a spoon doesn't cover the entire bottom of the pot easily, I used a flat ended spatula to stir it with. It worked great! With the flat end you could tell if it was flat across or up on an angle while stirring. That way it didn't scorch or burn. Although it still took two hours to boil at a low heat, it was worth it and I'll gladly do it again for the quality of applesauce I got out of it.

 

[digitS']

. . . and I'll gladly do it again for the quality of applesauce I got out of it.

That dedication is convincing!

Stayman, you say !? I'll have to look for them.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Very timely Veggie! I just bought a bunch of apples at the grocery for .99 a pound, aaaannd they were organic! I don't know the variety, but they are good eating out of hand, kind of tart and juicy but sweet too. I was planning on saucing them this weekend if it rains.
Nice tip on using a spatula to stir with. Did you stir for the whole two hours? I might have to bribe somebody around here.

 

[Carol Dee]

Yummy homemade applesauce. I just do not like the store bought jars. We have planted many apple trees over the years and are always hopeful to make our own applesauce. Another bad crop so the deer get them and I will have to buy some. Oh Well, there is always next year.

 

[Veggie PAK]

Very timely Veggie! I just bought a bunch of apples at the grocery for .99 a pound, aaaannd they were organic! I don't know the variety, but they are good eating out of hand, kind of tart and juicy but sweet too. I was planning on saucing them this weekend if it rains.
Nice tip on using a spatula to stir with. Did you stir for the whole two hours? I might have to bribe somebody around here.

When cooking applesauce, you can't walk away, even with the heat on low because it will stick and then burn in the bottom of the pot. Been there, done that last year. Experience is a great teacher!

On a gas range using a thin-walled stainless steel stock pot, I had to stir, wait less than a minute, and stir again. As the entire mixture gets hotter, you REALLY have to make sure it doesn't scorch. I probably stirred it every 10 to 20 seconds or so. If you hear the pot start to make noise, STIR! (If you wait for the noise to bring bubbling to the surface before you stir, it's probably scorched already. However, you can easily tell with the spatula across the bottom of the pot. If it goes smooth, you're ok. If it feels gritty, it may have burned.) So you shouldn't have a tv or radio on in my opinion so you can hear it cook. With the spatula it really isn't all that bad. It's easier when you've tasted the results already from a previous batch. I have no regrets or doubts about doing it this way again. You might say... It stirs you inside! Ha! Ha!

I must say that I still feel it a little in my right forearm though. But it was worth it.

 

[Veggie PAK]

I was successful in my apple quest! I picked up two more bushels of Staymans on Saturday. By the end of this week, I'll have a year's worth of homemade applesauce (with no added sugar) all canned and stored up. Now I have to work on additional shelving!!!

 

[ksacres]

I have a friend that uses a large crockpot on the low setting and it doesn't seem to burn. Just a thought.

But I think she does add water to hers...

 

[Jared77]

Any recipe that calls for water we replace it with apple cider. It still thins it, but it makes better apple sauce in our experience.

 

[Veggie PAK]

I have a friend that uses a large crockpot on the low setting and it doesn't seem to burn. Just a thought.

But I think she does add water to hers...

The recipe says to add water to prevent sticking, but I use apple juice with no added sugar. I like the crock pot idea. Even if I used two of them at once, it sure would be better than all that stirring. That gets old quick! Thanks for the suggestion.

Jared77, that apple cider would be a richer flavor than just apple juice. I'll insert that into the recipe I use.

Thanks to both of you!

 

[giselleB]

You can find it from the label of the food at the market.