Homemade Applesauce and Varieties of Apples

Homemade applesauce, apple varieties, an apple a day… this post is all about apples! I love apple and I eat them on a regular basis.

One of the things I love about fall is Apples are in season. Although you can find good apples anytime of year, they are more abundant in the fall. I love to buy them fresh from the orchard this time of year! A friend of mine just brought by a huge bag of apples that came from his orchard. They are absolutely delicious. I decided to give homemade applesauce a try and didn’t realize how easy it was but found it to be quick and easy which is my favorite way to do anything! Yep!

Apples are already so good that it doesn’t take much to make homemade applesauce. It’s pretty much just apples, water and a little sweetener or cinnamon if desired. Here’s the recipe and instructions:

Quick and Easy homemade Applesauce Recipe

8 medium apples

1.5 cups of water

½ cup of sugar (adjust as needed)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Start by washing, peeling and coring your apples. Chop them into bite-sized chunks and add them to a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients.

The sugar is variable. Start by adding half of it, unless you’re dealing with tart apples. Taste your apple sauce and add more towards the end. The cinnamon is optional. If you like cinnamon in your applesauce, add it, if not, feel free to leave it out. Of course you can also use more or less according to taste.

Bring the apple mixture to a simmer and cook covered on medium heat until the apples are soft. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your chunks and the apple variety.

Mash it into apple sauce with a potato masher, a fork, or an immersion blender.

then…

Enjoy!

Let’s Talk Apple Varieties

When you head to the local farmers market, or a well-stocked grocery store, you’ll find all sorts of different and interesting apple varieties. Some are perfect for eating as is, while others lend themselves to baking, cooking with, making apple sauce. One thing is for sure and that’s that apples taste delicious, and are healthy too!  Some varieties store better than others. Here’s a quick overview of some of the more common varieties of apples:

Crispin Apples

Crispin’s are large apples with a yellow-green skin. With their sweet flavor, these crisp yet juicy apples are perfect for baking pies and making apple sauce.

Empire Apples

Empires are a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. This is a great apple that works for just about anything including baking. They are also delicious freeze well.

Gala Apples

Gala apples are great for eating and to make apple sauce. Don’t try to bake with these apples. They tend to fall apart when you cook them.

Golden Delicious

These apples keep their shape well during baking, making them perfect for pies. They are also delicious eating apples that store well.

Granny Smith

This is one of the most popular apples around and for good reason. They are perfect for eating raw and hold up well in pies and crisps. You may want to add a little extra sugar or honey to balance out the tart flavor of these green apples.

Honeycrisp

This is a fairly new apple variety that’s crisp and juicy. As you bite into these apples you’ll notice a light honey flavor.

Ida Red

This is a very old apple variety. Ida Reds keep their shape during baking and even freeze well. Perfect for using them for baking and in apple sauce.

Jonagold

These apples are a blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples. They are best eaten fresh or used in apple sauce.

Jonathan

Jonathan apples are anther variety that’s perfect for baking pies and cakes. They hold their shape well and have a nice crisp flavor.

McIntosh

This is another apple that’s best eaten fresh from the tree. They don’t hold up well to baking, but make delicious apple sauce.

Red Delicious

Like the McIntosh apples, this is another variety that’s best used for eating.

Winesap

This is a firm but sweet apple that holds up well in baking and makes a great addition to your apple sauce as well.

Give these different apple varieties a try and find your own favorites for eating, storing, baking, and cooking. Of course you can mix and match, particularly when you’re making pie fillings or apple sauce.