Homemade Applesauce

You all know it takes no time to whip up homemade applesauce, right? And you know it requires no peeling, no additional sugar, and no spices, right? It’s so tasty, too.

There is one stipulation. You sort of need a food mill . Unfortunately, I only use mine to make applesauce. Am I missing something? Are there other recipes out there requiring a food mill? If you know of any, please share.

Also, I’m afraid my mother would be deeply disappointed if I didn’t mention one thing: Apples top the “Dirty Dozen” list. And apparently, scrubbing and peeling won’t eliminate chemical residue completely, and you definitely want to keep the skins on when you make applesauce — that’s where all the flavor and color live. So with apples, it is ideal if you can purchase organic or if you can purchase from your local-but-perhaps-not-certified-organic-though-organic-in-every-sense-of-the-word apple farmer. Make sense?

PS: Moist Applesauce Bundt Cake

How to Make Applesauce, Step by Step

Grab some apples! Red-skinned apples such as Empire and Pink Lady work well here because their skins imbue the sauce with the loveliest pink hue.

Cut up the apples, leaving the skins on.

Transfer the apples to a pot. Add a cup of water; then transfer to the stovetop.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until the apples are very soft.

Pass the apples through a foodmill.

Ta da! Isn’t it pretty?

Store in the fridge or use immediately in this applesauce bundt cake — it’s a favorite!

• 3 lbs. apples, about 8 to 10 apples*
• 1 cup water

*Any variety of apples will do, but I have been partial to Fuji and Lady Pink, because I can get those varieties at my farmers’ market. Empire apples also make a beautifully hued sauce.

1. So, there isn’t really a recipe here, just a method. Cut apples into big chunks — cut straight down around the core and discard it. Place them in a large pot with about a cup of water. Cover the pot, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the apples are very tender, about 20 minutes. This can take more or less time depending on the variety of apples you’ve chosen to use and the number of apples you have jammed in the pot. After you make this once or twice, you will have a better sense of the water-to-apple ratio.
2. Once the apples are tender, spoon them into the food mill in smallish batches. Start cranking. You may or may not need all of the liquid remaining in the pot. That’s it. You’re done!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes

• Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 3 lbs. apples, about 8 to 10 apples*

• 1 cup water

*Any variety of apples will do, but I have been partial to Fuji and Lady Pink, because I can get those varieties at my farmers’ market. Empire apples also make a beautifully hued sauce.

1. So, there isn’t really a recipe here, just a method. Cut apples into big chunks — cut straight down around the core and discard it. Place them in a large pot with about a cup of water. Cover the pot, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the apples are very tender, about 20 minutes. This can take more or less time depending on the variety of apples you’ve chosen to use and the number of apples you have jammed in the pot. After you make this once or twice, you will have a better sense of the water-to-apple ratio.
2. Once the apples are tender, spoon them into the food mill in smallish batches. Start cranking. You may or may not need all of the liquid remaining in the pot. That’s it. You’re done!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2010/11/23/homemade-applesauce/

My baby bro is really funny. Last month when he came to visit, I fixed him some breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and sliced banana, my favorite way to start the morning.

I took a risk making him oatmeal — I knew that. I mean, it’s hard to compete with my mother who whips up plates of fried egg sandwiches on toasted homemade bread, slides them under her favorite child’s nose just minutes after he lounges into the kitchen mid-morning, not uttering a word but like some sort of magical magnet drawing cups of freshly brewed coffee and hot breakfast his way.

Oatmeal was a risk for sure. Even so, I expected a bit of a better reception. He took two bites, dipped his spoon in for a third, pushed it around a little bit, then scrunched up his face while nudging the bowl my direction and asked, “Will you eat it for me?” My baby bro is 25. I love him so much.

Well, like my mother, I feel this need to feed people — to make them happy with food — and when things don’t work out as planned, I feel disappointed. I felt a little depressed about the oatmeal.

Next time he comes, I’m going to make him these muffins, my latest fix. I discovered this recipe in the November Bon Appetit’s RSVP section. They are delicious. After I made a batch of the batter, I baked off one a day in a paper-lined ramekin for about a week straight. What a treat!

I also made a teensy discovery. I didn’t have enough rolled oats for the recipe, so I substituted in steel cut oats for about half of the total. To my surprise, the steel cut oats added a nice crunch and reminded me of a favorite muffin I hadn’t thought about in years. Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia makes the most incredible millet muffins, and when I lived there, it was hard to pass by its doors without stopping in for one. I think I know which cookbook I need to add to my wishlist. A millet muffin sounds so good right now. Santa, I hope you’re reading.

Baby bro with baby doll. She adores her uncle. It’s so cute.

Description

Inspired by this recipe in Bon Appetit

Original recipe hails from Tazzaria

Note: You can make the batter ahead of time, stash it in the fridge, and bake off muffins as you wish.

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray or paper muffin liners
• 2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (I have had success with all varieties of oats including using as much as a cup of steel cut oats)
• 1 cup whole wheat or white flour
• 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons natural oat bran (if you have it)
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ (if you have it)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 large muffin cups (1-cup capacity) or 18 standard muffin cups (1/3-cup capacity) with nonstick spray, or line them with paper muffin liners. (Note: I baked off these muffins in paper-lined ramekins. It worked beautifully.)
2. Whisk oats and next 9 ingredients in large bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes for large muffins and 20 minutes for standard muffins. Cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins out onto rack; cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 28 minutes
• Category: Muffin
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American