When you think back to your childhood and about your favorite foods, what do you think of? My husband and I both love applesauce – but I prefer mine smooth and warm, and he likes his chunky and cold, with cinnamon added. We both think that the one we had as kids is the best!
Last weekend we went to an orchard and bought apples so we could experiment with our chunky applesauce recipe.
We started with 9 pounds of apples. We used the old-fashioned apple peeler/corer to peel, core and slice the apples.
Place apples in a large pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
Use a potato masher to mash apples to your desired texture. You could also puree the apples in a food processor or blender, if you want smooth applesauce. This is a fun project to involve the whole family.
One option is to freeze the applesauce. Label and put into containers. We put most of the first batch in individual-sized containers, but did a few quart-sized for family gatherings.
You can also use a boiling -water canner to process the applesauce. If you use pint jars, they will need to be processed for 20 minutes
Carr’s Chunky Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
- 9 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar and cinnamon to your preference.
- Mash with a potato masher to get the texture you desire.
- Store in the refrigerator, if using immediately. Divide into containers and freeze or divide into pint jars and process for 20 minutes in boiling-water canner to preserve to enjoy later.
- Use your favorite apples or combinations. We used Jonagold and Gala this time, we have used Honeycrisp, Jonathans and McIntosh in the past.
