Woolymossroots

simple joys

Making Applesauce

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A reader, Evi from Greece (Hi Evi!), asked how we make applesauce. We’ve used many methods over the years, but this year we discovered our favorite method and have been making more applesauce than ever before. 
I’ve peeled and cored apples by hand (time-consuming!) or used a tool we have where you mount the apple and turn the crank- that cores and peels it. The tool works alright (sometimes) if all the apples are a certain size, but I found it to be a hassle overall. After using it, I would put the apples in a gaint pot and cook them down on the stovetop. Last year’s experience with burned applesauce made me afraid to burn it again. 
With our new method, we don’t need to worry about burning it!
How did we discover the new method? Jeff had a tool called a squeezo in the pantry. He either got it at a garage sale or from a neighbor (doesn’t remember.) We feel so grateful we have it. I looked it up on Lehman’s and they cost about $200 (worth it if you make lots of applesauce year after year.) We thought it was for making tomato sauce. We knew it would be good for making other things, but didn’t use it to make applesauce until this year. We were so happy when we discovered that it works incredibly for making applesauce! 
The best part? 
No peeling! No coring! No worrying about burning!
I took this picture in the summer, when we came home from blueberry picking with something we didn’t expect- a box of windfall apples. Our farming neighbor was busy working in his fields and didn’t have time to deal with them, he was just going to throw them to his chickens, but when he saw us he asked if we would like them. You bet!
We didn’t expect them to be that great, but they were beautiful inside. They made for a light colored applesauce. 
These red apples I used last week made for a beautiful rosy pink sauce.
~
To make applesauce, here’s what we do:
First I wash all the apples really well, since we often times get windfalls. 
 Then I quarter each apple and put them in our stainless steel colander. I place that in a pot of boiling water for 5-8 minutes, until the apples are soft. 
Then I dump them out into the squeezo (which we mount to the island in the kitchen.) I mash it down with our wooden pounder while I crank the handle with my other hand. Out one side comes perfect applesauce, a nice thick consistency. Out the other side comes the peels, cores and seeds. 
Amazing!
I get a flow going and have apples boiling while I’m mashing one batch, more apples cut up and ready to be boiled….circling from the sink to the cutting board to the stovetop to the squeezo and back again. An applesauce dance around the kitchen.
 Since discovering this method, I am so in love with making applesauce! (Well… most of the time.) Early in the week I had a particularly long applesauce making day. Jeff worked on his outdoor workshop and I worked on making applesauce. We were both on our feet all day long and my feet were so sore by the end of the day.
I had three large boxes that needed to be turned into applesauce. Bracken rode on Jeff’s back while I tackled the first box of apples. Then he came back to me and nursed to sleep in the carrier while I tackled the second box of apples.
 Pots and pans helped keep Bracken entertained during the third box.
Then he wanted back in the pack so he could see all the action.

 It was getting closer to bedtime and I still wasn’t finished with the applesauce project. I was determined to get it done that day. I was feeling exhausted and my pace was starting to slow. As I went to turn the hand crank I looked over right as Bracken reached his hand out from the carrier against my belly, and dipped it into the giant bowl of applesauce. He quickly brought it to his mouth and started sucking the applesauce off his fingers. Then he looked up at me and offered his applesauce-covered baby hand for me to lick some off too. The expression of incredible delight on his face and the look in his eyes as he so sweetly offered to share…. melted my heart so completely in that moment. The heaviness of exhaustion seemed to lift as the laughter came bubbling out. Everything got covered in applesauce. His face, his hands, his shirt, my shirt, the carrier…. you get the picture. But we sure had a lot of fun.
We finished making applesauce and headed to bed. The next day we canned 21 quarts! We’re up to 52 quarts of applesauce canned so far this year. That’s a record for us.
 And all three of us sure do love eating spoonfuls of our homemade applesauce!

Comments

  3. Becky- Cranberry sauce sounds delicious. Hope you love it for making applesauce as much as we do!

    Trish- Thanks Trish! I love his sweet little applesauce covered face too. 🙂 And I love your sweet comments.

    Evi- We love a little cinnamon on our applesauce also. I never thought to serve it warm with some coconut oil. That sounds good. We usually eat it cold out of the fridge. 🙂

    Sorry to hear you have a migraine. Those are so ick. Hang in there. Hope you all feel better soon!

    Reply

  4. Thank you so much Taryn!
    I have actually already made some applesauce using the recipe in NT (skipped the maple syrup and butter) and it was yummy!
    I do not peel the skins, they’re full of nutrients.
    I like serving it hot with cinnamon and some coconut butter, will also try it with ghee.

    I have a terrible migraine today and thought of you when you said you had one several weeks ago; it is indeed very hard to find things to be grateful for when your head is pounding with pain and on top of that the kids are sick and need nursing, but I’m doing my best! 🙂

    My 16-month baby girl also loves applesauce 🙂

    Reply

  6. I have something like the sqeezo only mine is plastic. I used mine to make cranberry sauce and have run tomatoes through it. I will have to remember to try it with apples.

    Reply

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