Apple season has been over for a while; luckily apples are still plentiful at my local market. When they’re on sale, I always opt for a large bag when I decide to make a few apple recipes. Finding recipes to use them in is always fun. This slow cooker applesauce recipe is one of many fun recipes I like to make when I come across a great sale on a good tart cooking apple.
Homemade applesauce is one of the easiest things to make. When you add a slow cooker to the mix, it makes it that much easier. I will say that the apple sweetness speaks for themselves in this recipe. Because of that, no sugar is added. I also happen to prefer my applesauce a bit tart.
So here we go.
Slow Cooker Applesauce -Unsweetened
Ingredients: Makes 6 cups
- 4 lbs. tart cooking apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Pink Lady, etc. See the provided chart)
- ⅓ cup water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
Directions:
Wash the apples to remove any residue and wax. Peel, core and slice them into quarters. Place the sliced apples, water, salt, and lemon juice in your slow cooker; toss to coat and cover and set on low for 4 hours, until the apples are very soft.
Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the apples until you’ve reached the desired texture, chunky or smooth. I like mine a bit chunky. Take care when mashing the softened cooked apples; the mixture is pretty hot.
Using a canning funnel, pour the applesauce into 6 half pint or 3 1-pint sterilized jars, leaving ¼ -inch headspace from the rim of the jar. Wipe rims of each jar; seal and let cool for an hour or so. You can go the extra step and can the jars of applesauce for a longer shelf life. Otherwise, the applesauce will last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the applesauce in freezer containers for up to a year or so.
Variations: There are many variations; below are just a few. In some cases, you will need to test for sweetness and add a bit of sugar.
- Cinnamon Applesauce: Add 1 to two teaspoons of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to taste.
- Apple Apricot Sauce: Add 1-cup apricot jam.
- Apple Strawberry Sauce: Add 1 cup strawberries and a dash of allspice.
- Apple Pear Sauce: 2 lbs. each of apples and pears.
- Apple Blueberry Sauce: Add 1-cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and a pinch of ground ginger. Test for sweetness and add sugar when needed.
- Apple Cranberry: 1-cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries. Replace the water with 1/2 cup cranberry juice. Test for sweetness and add sugar when needed.
Notes: Some like their applesauce with a bit of sugar. If that would be you, add a bit of sugar at the end when the mixture is mashed and still hot. Be careful to add a little at a time, stirring in the sugar until it’s dissolved. Taste as you go and stop adding sugar when you’ve reached the desired sweetness. A combination of apples is also a fun way to go. You can leave the skins on the apples if you prefer. If you do, you’ll need to cut the apples into a medium dice and vigorously mash them when they’ve softened to break down the skins. The skins do add a bit of color, flavor, and texture to your sauce; either way, it all tastes divine.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, have no fear; you can easily make this on the stovetop. The difference is in the time it takes to cook the apples to the softened stage – about 20 to 30 minutes. It’s actually much faster than the slow cooker. I just like the “set it and forget it” method. It’s up to you which method you prefer. As I said before, this homemade slow cooker applesauce can easily be canned to allow for a very long shelf life. I do this quite often when I have a lot of apples on hand.
Ok, isn’t that easy? Why not give this homemade slow cooker applesauce a try. Regardless of whether you use a slow cooker or the stovetop, you will love the end results. In fact, I would venture to say you might never want to buy applesauce at your local market ever again. Enjoy.
Time to eat…
If you enjoyed my “Slow Cooker Applesauce -Unsweetened,” check out my Stuffed Baked Apples, Rustic Apple Pear Tart, or my Apple Oat Crunch. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out and purchase some of the tools I used for this “Slow Cooker Applesauce -Unsweetened” below. 🙂