Crock Pot Applesauce
So easy and so good
And truly, I had no idea how ridiculously easy it really was. And how so darn good it would taste! I did learn a bit while making this. First of all, I had no idea that so many nutrients we get from apples are actually in the skin of the apple itself. So, if you are really looking to get the most bang for your buck with this applesauce, then leave those skins on.
The only downside with leaving the skins on is they never totally break down while cooking like the rest of the apple does. So, you have to go in there with an immersion blender if you want them totally incorporated. The skins do get very soft though and my husband did not mind eating the softer skins with the sauce. Or, you can peel the apple before cooking, and you will see that after cooking down for a few hours, all you need is a fork to stir the apples and you immediately have applesauce! Special thank you to Country Cook reader, Anita Allgood, for sharing her family recipe.
Ingredients:
10 green apples
1/2 cup apple juice, apple cider or water
1 cup sugar (to taste)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Cook’s Notes: The amount of sugar you use will depend on the tartness of your apples and your tastebuds. This is a VERY forgiving recipe and all the sugar does not have to be added at the beginning of the process. After I made this, I gave it a taste and realized it needed a tad more sugar. So I sprinkled a bit more on the finished product, gave it a stir, gave it another taste and it was perfect. So, if you want, start with a little and add more later if it is needed. The same goes for the cinnamon. Start with a small amount if you are unsure and then sprinkle more in later to get it to a taste you enjoy!
Directions:
Crock Pot Applesauce
Ingredients
- 10 cooking apples
- 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
- 1 cup sugar to taste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Chop and core apples (leaving the skins on or off).
- Place chopped apples in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
- Stir in apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and stir.
- Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
- After cooking, apples will just need to be stirred to breakdown the rest of the way. If you left the skins on, you'll need to chop up the skins with an immersion blender or handheld mixer.
- Give it a taste test (be careful, mixture will be hot!) and see if you need any more sugar or cinnamon to meet your tastes.
Do I need the lemon juice? I don't have any on hand.
Lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
Ok, you don't ABSOLUTELY need it but I did find that adding a tad bit of lemon juice, it really brightened up the flavor of the apples themselves. The original recipe did not come with lemon juice but I added it in the second time I made this and we all agreed there was a small but noticeable difference in the flavors. I hope that helps!
Use some cinnamon red hots in it, gives it a lovely pink color and extra flavor
We just made our version yesterday and boy did the house smell wonderfully all day. My recipe is just a little different, but basically the same concept. I LOVE homemade applesauce. My son even had some with vanilla ice cream as it was still hot last night. 🙂 Your photos are so beautiful I can almost still smell it!
Pam
I love making homemade applesauce but I never tried in the crockpot, going to give this a shot!
Could this also be canned??
Absolutely!
I just made crockpot applesauce over the weekend…using agave nectar and no added sugar. I love mine chunky too – it's fabulous! Really satisfies my sweet tooth. Yours looks really yummy too!
Can this be pressure cooked?Preserved.
This can be canned but I've never tried to pressure cook it.
I have been making my own applesauce for many years. I only use Macintosh apples as I live in Upstate NY and it is our local and favorite apple here. I got to playing around and found that adding rhubarb to it adds a slight tang but not overwhelming flavor as long as you do Half rhubarb to twice the apples. I also add a pkg of Yoplait smoothie mix.. strawberries, mango and pineapple with the rhubarb and apples, sugar and cinnamon. OMG what a flavor combo!!! DELICIOUS. It comes out slightly chunky but so tasty!!! Make sure your rhubarb is cut into 1/2" pieces and I peel mine, If you are allergic to rhubarb, I also can substitute pears, for barb.
I grew up in Mexico ny we have a great orchard there. Oh how I miss the apples. I'm in ga now and went to an apple festival here just today. My first in ga. Lovely crafts but a bit short on the actual apple part lol
I'm new to this, could you tell me how you can this? I'd like to can & give out for Christmas as this will remind them of Fall :-). Thanks
Hi Chele! The folks at Ball canning are the best resource for learning how to can this so that it can be properly preserved. Here is a link that will give you instructions. They also have videos on their site to help with canning as well! Hope that helps! 🙂 http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=126
Want to try this! Loved applesauce when my mom made it years ago but for some reason I can't print it off my computer. Would u email it to me? Would really appreciate it. Also could u tell me how to freeze it? TY 🙂
If you add a few grates of nutmeg at the end the applesauce is even better.
When I make homemade applesauce, I peel the apples first and simmer them separately with a little sugar and water. I then discard the peelings and use the same water to cook the apples in. Just add more water and sugar to taste. The peelings really give the sauce a great flavor.
I used this recipe and have never made apple sauce in my life and I can honestly say it came out amazing a tad bit to sweet. A little less sugar if using apple cider. But I’ll never buy apple sauce ever again.
Excellent! Delicious apple sauce! I never peel the apples, just core and seed them, cut them into 8 slices with a slicer, cut again crosswise into 16 pieces. Season and cook and put them through a food mill. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. I believe that peeling causes flavor and nutrition loss. I freeze the sauce in sour cream and Cool Whip containers. I begin cooking the sauce in June using Transparent apples followed by Gravenstein apples. In October, I use Golden Delicious. All offer a different flavor twist; but all are just delicious.
I forgot to add that my secret ingredient (not so secret now!) is 1-2 tsp vanilla.
Love it! Thanks so much Patricia!!
How many pints does this recipe yield
Hi Katherine, I am sorry – I didn’t measure this out in pints when I made it so I am honestly not sure.
Love this recipe! So easy to make. Delicious!
How many ounces does this recipe make? I want to make homemade applesauce with my class to use in our homemade apple butter.
Hi Ms Lori! That is a great question and I will be honest – I never measured when I tested this recipe. I am so sorry. I’ll have to work on that!
Applesauce is amazingly forgiving. Depending on the consistency you want your sauce to be, you can cook it for shorter or longer, you can add apples or use less. For example, I used 8 apples with a half cup of water. Use seasonings at the end to suit your tastes. You may not even need sugar! For chunky applesauce you may want to try a 2 hour cook time instead of 4 to 6. If your sauce is too watery, simply remove the lid.