Eating some form of apples in a sauce dates back at least as early as the 4th Century C.E. when Apicus’ book on Roman Cookery was published. The tartness of apples back then hadn’t been bred out and the sharp flavors offset the taste of the fat in the food that was served at the time. Today we carry on the tradition, though apples are sweeter and somewhat mellower.
I love a good applesauce and will eat it just by itself. I used to buy jars and jars of applesauce at the store. Now you won’t catch me buying the stuff. If I want sauce made from apples, I buy apples.
I once had a roommate who always, always made her own applesauce. I thought she was being silly, until I realized how cost effective it is to make – and easy. If you have ten minutes, a few spices, a pan, and a blender or immersion wand, you’ve got applesauce. When I was still working in professional kitchens I would sometimes cook one apple at work and blend it into a single serving of sauce.
The best applesauce will have a blend of several different apples, but I still can’t get away from Red Delicious being my favorite to make into sauce. You can add in a Braeburn or Granny Smith for a little extra tartness.
- 4-5 apples of your choice
- Water or apple cider to cover the apples
- 1 tbsp sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- Peel and core the apples. Cut them into wedges or large chunks.
- Place in a sauce pan and fill with water just to cover the apples.
- Cook on medium heat until the apples are tender.
- Drain the apples. Add the spices and puree in a blender or with an immersion wand until desired consistency.
- Cool the sauce down before serving.
- Eat as a snack or dessert or make a big enough batch to include in recipes that ask for applesauce.