Spiced Applesauce

With this homemade applesauce recipe you're in charge of what goes into the often-purchased ingredient. If you've got a bounty of fresh or frozen berries, try the very berry applesauce variation.

Spiced Applesauce
Photo: Carson Downing
Prep Time:
1 hrs
Total Time:
1 hrs 25 mins
Yield:
about 6 pints or 3 quarts

Ingredients

  • 8 pound cooking apples, cored and quartered

  • ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, strained

  • 10 inch stick cinnamon

  • 1 ½ teaspoon apple pie spice

  • ¾ - 1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar

  • 2 cup water

Directions

  1. In an 8- to 10-qt. heavy pot or Dutch oven combine apples, water, the lemon juice, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are very tender, stirring often. Discard stick cinnamon.

  2. Press apples through a food mill or sieve. Return pulp to pot; discard skins. Stir in sugar to taste. If necessary, add 1/2 to 1 cup water to reach desired consistency. Bring to boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

  3. Place pot of applesauce in a sink filled with ice water; stir to cool. Ladle into clean wide-mouth pint or quart freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and label. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 8 months. Makes 6 pints or 3 quarts.

Very Berry Applesauce

Prepare as directed, except replace 1 lb. (4 cups) apples with 1 lb. (4 cups) fresh or frozen raspberries and/or strawberries and decrease water to 1 1/2 cups in Step 1. Freeze or can as directed.

Water-Bath Canning

Prepare as directed through Step 2. Ladle hot applesauce into hot, sterilized pint or quart canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims with a clean cloth; adjust lids and screw bands. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner, starting timing when water returns to boiling. Process applesauce 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts. Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

81 Calories
21g Carbs
Nutrition Facts
Calories 81
% Daily Value *
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Total Sugars 18g
Vitamin C 5.9mg 30%
Calcium 10.1mg 1%
Iron 0.2mg 1%
Potassium 108mg 2%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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