The Wonders of Apples

My first attempt of applesauce making turned out as not only a failure but also an embarrassment. With a craving for delicious applesauce I set out to create my own concoction and concoction was exactly what it was. Starting off on the right foot, I washed, cored and sliced the apples. I even had the right additives, classic sugar and cinnamon. However, when it became time to enter the ‘process’… with a cleaver grin on my face, I threw every apple slice in the glass vase and with the press of “purée,” the blender was creating applesauce. I thought, how great! That was, until the image of grandma’s applesauce didn’t compare to my so-called applesauce. Before me was a bowl of brown tinted, crunchy apple chucks covered in granules of sugar and spice.

Sadly, I must admit my applesauce was no juvenile attempt but that of a home economics accomplishing, chemistry passing high school student. I would have hoped the combination of those classes would’ve brought me some common sense of the composition of applesauce, but it failed. Thankfully, I can proudly say I have now become a master of the applesauce art.

Since applesauce is a rather simple process, the outcome taste comes down to personal preference of the consumer. There are a variety of options of texture and taste.

To begin: understanding the process. First apples must but washed, cored and sliced. Transferred the apples into a pot, adding enough water so the apples don’t burn: cover and boil on high heat until apples are ‘mushy,’ roughly 20 minutes. After the apples are cooked the consumer gets to decide what texture of applesauce they want.
- Chunky: (when cutting apples, also remove the skin) once cooked, using a potato masher, smash the apples until reaching a desired consistency. The potato masher will allow for some small ‘chunks’ to remain in the applesauce.
- Medium Chunky / Smooth – once cooked put the apples in a food strainer, this can be a traditional Victorian strainer, a hand strainer or even an electric mixer strainer. The results will be thinner and smoother.Next is the yum factor: taste. Taste depends on what apples you are working from.

Here are recommended apples for applesauce: Gala, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Jonalicious, Jonagold, Melrose and Fuji. After apples are strained, stir in whatever sweeteners and spices (common: cinnamon, red hots or ginger) your pallet desires.

For me, applesauce is a taste of home, a taste of grandmas cooking, a taste of comfort. Now that you know the keys behind the wonders of applesauce, give it a try and enjoy the scrumptious taste that lingers in childhood memories.