Easy Applesauce Recipe for Canning or Eating Fresh

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This easy applesauce recipe is great for canning or eating fresh! It begins with fresh apples from the market or your backyard orchard. It’s made with four simple but natural ingredients, and one of them is even optional!

This easy homemade applesauce recipe is a favorite in my family. I serve it with breakfast, lunch, and even dinner.

We eat it as a side dish with my low-carb Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers in place of fries, but of course, sometimes we do have hash browns. And my grandsons, when they are here on the weekend, love eating delicious applesauce with their homemade egg muffins.

What Kind Of Apples is Best for Making Applesauce?

You could spend hours searching for “the best” apple to make homemade applesauce, but I think it really comes down to personal preference.

Each apple variety has its own natural color, flesh, and flavor. However, all apples can be used to make homemade applesauce. A good rule of thumb is that if an apple is good for “baking,” it normally isn’t food for making applesauce.

RELATED: Apple Butter Recipe for Canning

If you will, let me explain. When I bake fresh whole apples or even apple quarters, I like the apple to “keep its shape.” But when I am making my easy chunky applesauce recipe, I want the apples to cook up smooth—of course, a bit chunky, but overall smooth and tasty.

Also, all apples respond to heat in different ways. Some apple flesh will be a bright white, while others may darken just a bit when heated.

RELATED: Whether you’re just starting out or have been preserving food for years, this Comprehensive Food Preservation Guide is packed with tips, techniques, and recipes to help you preserve the harvest with confidence.

My favorite apple for making easy applesauce is the Mutsu Apple, also known as the Crispin Apple. It has wonderful yellow-gold skin with a pink blush, is very sweet, and has wonderful soft, creamy white flesh. It darkens when cooked, but we love it! My second favorite is Golden Delicious.

Other apples that make a good, sweet, and delicious applesauce are:

• McIntosh
• Fuji
• Golden Delicious
• Gala
• Pink Lady
• Transparent
• Johnathan

“How do you sweeten applesauce?” Of course, sugar is completely optional. I don’t use a sweetener. Mutsu apples are the perfect sweetness my family likes.

So, depending on the type of apple you choose, its natural sugar may be sweet enough. If not, slowly add Stevia or sugar to your taste preference.

TIP: Water bath canning is a simple way to preserve high-acid foods. Check out this beginner-friendly guide for step-by-step instructions.

Easy Applesauce Recipe

Of course, many recipes are available that can be cooked in a crockpot, in the oven, or even in a microwave. But I prefer the old-fashioned way of cooking it on the stovetop.

Whether you eat it fresh or can it, both methods are prepared the same. It can be stored safely in the refrigerator with the lids on tight for a few weeks.

Equipment Needed for Making Applesauce

• Cutting Board
• Apple Peeler or a Sharp Knife (I have this one – lifetime)
• Potato Masher or Food Processor
• Large Stock Pot
• Canning Jars & Lids

Ingredients for Easy To Make Applesauce

• 10 lbs of fresh apples (your choice)
• Water
• 1/2 cup Stevia (optional)
• 4 Tbsp Pure Lemon Juice

Directions for Easy-to-Make Recipe

Prep

Wash apples well in cold water, even if they are organic. Next, using your peeler or sharp knife, peel, slice, and quarter all your apples. This will help them cook faster.

If you will be canning applesauce, fill your water bath canner with water and place it on the stovetop on high to sterilize jars. Skip this step if you are not canning.

Place apples in a pot with just enough water to keep them from sticking. Bring them to a boil. Be careful; they will splatter and pop a bit – it is hot. Once to a good boil, cover and reduce heat to a medium temperature.

Stir them occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Cook until the apples are soft and tender. The time will depend on the variety, but it should take 5-25 minutes. When I use Mutsu, it takes about 25 minutes.

Process

When apples are soft and tender, use a potato masher to smooth them out. If you are using a food processor, carefully ladle the apples out of the pot into the processor, process them, and return them to the pot.

If you will be using sugar, now is the time to add it and the lemon juice. Mix the ingredients well into the mashed apples.

Fresh homemade applesauce will be kept in the refrigerator for about 8 weeks.

Canning Applesauce

If canning, ladle hot applesauce into sterile canning jars, leaving a 1/2 headspace. Wipe the rim of jars with a clean cloth and place on 2-piece canning jar lids.

Place jars into a water bath canner with a rack and process for 20 minutes. This time applies to both pints and quarts.

Remove jars and place them on a towel on the counter. Leave undisturbed for 12-24 hrs.

RELATED: Use “The Complete Beginners Guide To Home Canning” and get comfortable with home canning.

Can You Freeze Fresh Applesauce?

Sure! To freeze applesauce, allow it to cool completely! Ladle into a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer, leaving enough space for expansion. Learn step-by-step more about all things freezing foods and serving nutritious foods to your family.

This easy applesauce recipe is perfect! It’s straightforward and does not require a lot of steps or ingredients.

Will you be serving up fresh homemade applesauce to your family more often now? Share your story or plans in the comments below.

More Fall Canning Recipe Ideas

• Apple Butter Recipe for Canning
• How to Dehydrate Apples Easily
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree

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