Unsweetened Applesauce

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Apples: for this recipe you’ll want to use a sweet eating apple with a thin skin, not a tart apple. Boskoop, Elstar, anything that you’d eat without cooking, will all be good. Something like granny smith is a bad choice.
• Lemon juice: this is optional but will prevent browning and keep the colour of the sauce nice.
• Add-ins: if you want to add spices, stir them in after pureeing the sauce to keep their flavour strongest. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves are all excellent, to your taste.

Step by Step

Step 1: wash and core the apples, then cut into chunks (this speeds up the cooking process). No need to peel.

Step 2: add the water and lemon juice, then cook, covered, until the apples are soft.

Step 3: remove from the heat and purée until smooth.

Step 4: cool fully before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe Notes

I haven’t included canning instructions here because the applesauce doesn’t have any sugar and I don’t think it’s enough lemon juice – if you even use it – to make it safe to can normally. If you have a pressure canner I’m certain that could be used, but you do, then you already know how to can!

Of course I have canned unsweetened applesauce before, but it doesn’t last very long, and it’s easier to freeze if you have the space.

You can use this applesauce to cook down further into apple butter. It is plenty sweet enough if you use a good sweet apple that there’s no need to add any honey or sugar. Follow the same method as for crab apple butter.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, instead use a standing blender (after the sauce has cooled fully), a food mill, or press the cooked apples through a fine sieve. You could even use a potato masher or fork for a slightly chunkier applesauce. A food processor can be used in a pinch but again, make sure the sauce is cooled fully.

How to Store

Storage: keep the applesauce in a clean container in the fridge for about a week. It will last longer if stored in a sterilised glass jar, but if you see any sign of mould or discolouration, toss it.

Freezing: transfer fully cooled applesauce to an airtight container and freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator before use. I freeze it in canning jars, making sure to leave at least 4cm headspace, but be careful as not all glass jars are suitable for such temperature changes.

Expert Tips

• Don’t peel the fruit: much of the fibre and vitamins are in the skin of apples, and it’s worth keeping on for that alone. The skin will also add a bit of colour to the sauce and isn’t noticeable after blending if using a good eating apple with a thin skin.
• Cool before blending: if using a large blender or anything not meant to be used with hot ingredients, make sure to cool the cooked apples completely before blending.
• Don’t skip the water: a splash of water is added simply to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom of the pot during cooking, and doesn’t diminish the flavour of the fruit.
• Increase the recipe: if you want to make more, increase the amounts as needed to do so. This makes about 400 grams, or close to two cups. If working with weights, you’ll need about one part water for every ten parts apples (e.g. 100g water for 1kg fruit).

More Autumn Recipes

Lingonberry Sauce
How to Make Pumpkin Purée
Honey Elderberry Syrup
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