Cinnamon Applesauce
In the DC area, it feels like fall is already here – we even get to make it official this upcoming week as summer comes to an end! The mornings have gotten chillier, some of the leaves have already started to change, and the apples have made it to the farmers' markets. It's time to make some slow-cooker applesauce!
I love fruit, but admittedly I'm just not always in the mood for an apple. (Don't tell my doctor.) But applesauce is another story, especially when it's made fresh. It's a great fall snack, and a perfect way to use a lot of apples at once – if you like to go apple-picking, you'll know why that's useful! Using the slow cooker just makes this even easier, because that's what slow cookers do, right? The only difficult part of this recipe is waiting three hours for this to be done as it makes your house smell like a fall wonderland. But resist the urge! Let it all marinate and cook down before you sneak a bite. It will be worth it.
This is a recipe for your standard cinnamon applesauce, but it's also a great recipe to play around with. As long as you can check on your slow cooker now and again, you shouldn't worry about trying something different ingredient-wise. Obviously, you can use different types of apples – I use Gala and Golden Delicious because those are my husband's favorite and my favorite, respectively. Using a couple pears along with apples would be delicious, or maybe one of those end-of-season peaches you can still find. Depending on the flavors you like, you can personalize this recipe however you want! It might even come back around to the blog later in the season – after tasting how perfect this is just with apples, I'm already planning to try a cranberry applesauce around Thanksgiving.
I know what some of you are thinking. Natalie, you can just go buy a big jar of applesauce at the store for a few bucks! Why would you break out the crockpot, peel and cut all these apples, and wait 3 hours for some mashed fruit? Well, friendo, I'll tell you why I do it. Because it tastes better (by a lot). Because it makes your house smell heavenly. And because sometimes I just want to play in the kitchen, and have extra apples calling my name!
CINNAMON APPLESAUCE
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Crockpot Time: ~3 hours
Makes 3-4 cups
Ingredients
5 medium apples*
1/4 c brown sugar (optional)
1 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest
1 t (heaping) ground cinnamon
1 c water
pinch of salt
*I use a mix of Gala and Golden delicious
Directions
Peel, core, and cut the apples into about 1-inch cubes. Get as much of the skin off as you can, since this doesn't break down in the slow cooker.
Put the cubed apple into the slow cooker, along with the brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon. If you want to skip the sugar, that's completely fine – it will be healthier that way, but still delicious. I like to make this as more of a treat, so I throw some sugar in at the start, but you can always add the sugar in at the end if you decide later that you want to sweeten it up.
Pour the water over the top of the apple mixture, toss in a pinch of salt, and give it all a quick stir. Set your slow cooker on high for 2 hours, then turn it down to low or simmer (depending on your slow cooker) for 30 minutes more. As the apples cook, give them a stir every 30-60 minutes if you can.
Once your applesauce is done, depending on the consistency you like best, give them a quick mash with a potato masher, or you could even use an immersion blender to make it extra smooth. It's all up to you based on your preferences (and what tools you have in the kitchen)! When cool, store in a glass or plastic container in your refrigerator for up to a week.
This recipe makes around three or four cups, so if your household is larger than mine (two), I'd recommend doubling it! Just keep in mind you'll need to add more time to the slow-cooking.
Happy Eating,
Natalie