Apples! The fruit is synonymous with Washington State,
schoolteachers, and American pie patriotism. According to the Washington State
Apple Commission, did you know apples originated in Kazakhstan? Over 2,500
varieties are grown in the United States and they are Washington State’s
largest agricultural crop. And if you placed Washington’s apples side-by-side,
they would circle the earth 29 times. That's a load of apples to handpick!
What do some Washingtonians do with all those apples?
Every fall, between Labor Day and mid-October, my husband and I drive through the Cascade mountain range to Eastern Washington to admire the autumn leaves and to retrieve freshly harvested Golden Delicious apples to make applesauce. Here’s an easy method I use.
Pick the apples from a tree, or...
Purchase a box of apples from a local fruit stand or
grocer. I’ve used several varieties, but I prefer Golden Delicious apples. They
taste great and the sauce produced is a nice consistency with little waste after straining
the cooked fruit. A 25 lb. box equals approximately 10 quarts of sauce for
canning or freezing. I freeze mine. Much easier!
Wash the apples in cold water.
Cut each apple into quarters.
Fill a large stock pot and two additional 2-quart saucepans with the apples and add water to fill the pot one-third full. Cover and cook on medium-high heat until the apples are soft and easy to mash, adding water if needed to keep the
apples from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you find you have too much water remaining, simply uncover the pot and continue to cook, stirring as
necessary, to thicken the sauce.
Scoop the hot apple mixture, a portion at a time, from the
pot into a strainer over a large bowl. I keep a second large bowl handy to dispose of
the waste and rest the strainer while I ladle the fresh-made sauce into clean,
waiting freezer containers.
At this point, some people like to add cinnamon or sugar to their sauce,
but it depends on the variety of apple and personal taste. Golden
Delicious applesauce is naturally sweet.
I like to eat applesauce as a snack or serve it as
a fancy dessert.
What ways have you served applesauce? Have you made it
from scratch? What apples and method did you use? I hope you enjoyed my
mini-lesson on how to make a healthy, autumn treat the whole family can enjoy.
Cheers!
Deb
Deb
I know that Eastern Washington has the bigger reputation for apples, but we have one of the largest and best apple farms right here in Western Washington. It is tradition for our family to get our apples there from August until December. They grow 19 varieties at the moment, but they tend to add more through the years. My favorite are still Gravenstein and Jonagolds.
ReplyDeleteTerrill, that's interesting to know about your family's W. WA apple farm! I'm amazed at how many varieties that are grown today compared to when I was a child. It's getting harder to pick a favorite. Thanks so much for sharing!
DeleteDeb, now that I know you live so close, you should come up to Whatcom County and visit Bellewood Acres. It is such a great apple farm. To clarify, it's not "our" farm. heehee. Just a farm we love to go to. Here's the link: http://www.bellewoodfarms.com/
DeleteI *love* applesauce! This looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Linda!
DeleteGrowing up we used to make it from whatever crab apple the neighbors didn't want. :) When I was first pregnant with baby #1 I made a bunch of applesauce thinking it would be great for feeding a toddler. Not so. This kid is almost five and still won't touch it (or most fruits) Thankfully Baby #2 liked it. :)
ReplyDeleteHa Ha! So hard to know what a family member will like, isn't it? The only apple tree in my yard growing up was a crab apple, so we used those too...with a lot of sugar.
DeleteI made my first batch of applesauce for the season last weekend. Cortlands are available, my favorite. I core them, cook them with a bit of water, after they're softened I let them cool, then put them in the osterizer for silky smooth sauce. Then I eat.
ReplyDeleteTerri, I've not heard of Cortlands, but your sauce sounds amazing. Yum!
DeleteI remember going to my friend's grandparents' apple orchard in WI when I was little and getting to choose an apple from their bins. Sooo good! I like to dump my cut-up apples in the crockpot and let them simmer. The smell is heavenly and no need to watch the pot.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a fresh picked apple out of a bin. AND I like your idea of using a crockpot, Mary. I'll have to give it a try!
DeleteThanks for the interesting post. I love applesauce, especially with chunks in it; I also love cooked apple slices before they get to the sauce stage, and love them in baked goods. I cook them similar to your method, but would love to try them in the crockpot, as Mary suggested.
ReplyDeletebonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
My mom also loved chunky applesauce. I like your idea of putting cooked apple slices in baked goods. Strudel, turnovers, and Danishes come to mind. Like you, I think it'd be fun to try the crockpot to cook apple slices. Great ideas!
DeleteI usually fix at least one batch of applesauce every year and I often can it. I follow your steps to cut and cook but I use a food mill to separate the pulp from the apple rinds. We enjoy it on hot biscuits and I also make Applesauce Cake. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteConnie
cps1950 (at)gmail(dot)com
Oh Connie, I love your idea about serving applesauce on hot biscuits. I've never tried that and using your food mill sounds like a great approach. And Applesauce Cake is always a winner. Thanks for your suggestions!
DeleteSince I don't like syrup, I usually cover my pancakes with applesauce or sweetened and cooked sliced apples.
DeleteThat's a great alternative! My husband prefers applesauce too, so I'm sure he'd like warm, cooked apple slices. I like apple syrup and applesauce on pancakes and waffles. If any of you do like syrup, Glenmore Farms apple syrup made in Canby, OR, and carried by Prey's Fruit Stand in Leavenworth, WA, is my favorite and a family tradition too. I do have a recipe for apple syrup that has been a great substitute when I've run out in the winter and the fruit stand is closed. I'll post it next month. So good, especially served warm!
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