Quick and Easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe in the Microwave (2024)

FAQs

What makes applesauce taste better? ›

The mellow sweetness of toasted sugar adds complexity. Apple cider vinegar helps brighten cooked fruit. Using skin-on fruit improves both flavor and color in the finished product. Aromatics like cinnamon, orange peel, and rose water intensify the flavor of the apples.

Sometimes we accidentally add too much water to our recipe, or the apples produce more juice than anticipated which leaves us with watery applesauce. Luckily, it is so easy to thicken homemade applesauce. We just need to cook it longer to help the water evaporate.

The best apples for applesauce are whatever apples you have on hand and need to use up. However, if you have a choice, we recommend using a combination of sweet and tangy varieties for the best flavor. Popular sweet varieties include Honeycrisp and Fuji, while popular tangy varieties include Granny Smith and Braeburn.

Adding sugar to applesauce is optional…. However, lemon juice is not an optional addition. Lemon juice is added to help preserve the apples' natural colour and to assure the acidity of the finished product, since different varieties and harvesting conditions can produce apples of lower acidity.”

For applesauce, you essentially want the opposite—apples that will cook down and mash well to create a flavorful sauce. At the same time, avoid apples that are mealy in texture and turn to mush when cooked down. Many cooks avoid Red Delicious for that reason.

The soluble fiber in applesauce, in the form of pectin, can be helpful in treating digestive issues, such as diarrhea and constipation. It can help to neutralize the effects of irritable bowel syndrome. Pectin also acts as a prebiotic, which feeds good gut bacteria and promotes good digestive health.

How do you fix too much cinnamon in applesauce? The only way to neutralize too much cinnamon is to add more of the main ingredients. Avoid adding other spices, which will conflict with the cinnamon. Add more apples, vinegar and sugar instead.

Many people report that the top of the jar of applesauce gradually turns brown. What is happening is the sauce has not been heated adequately to stop all enzymatic reactions and there is enough oxygen in the headspace to react with the enzymes.

You can also pass the sauce through a mesh strainer to separate the skins from the sauce. 7The applesauce will thicken a little as it cools, but if it seems too watery, place the applesauce back into a pot and simmer until reduced a little.

Conversation. What kind of apples does Mott's use for applesauce? a) Golden Delicious.

Why is my homemade applesauce pink? ›

If you leave the skins on, you'll end up with pink applesauce, like mine, if you've used red apples. You'll want to puree the applesauce if you've left the skins on and strain it, otherwise, it can get “stringy” and I don't care for that texture.

Peel, core and quarter apples. You will need 3 to 3-1/2 pounds per quart of applesauce.

And in case you're wondering, varieties like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and McIntosh are the best apples for applesauce. How long will homemade applesauce last? It'll stay good for four to six days stored in the fridge. You could also can it to make it last longer, but that's a lesson for another day.

Start by toasting a half-teaspoon of your favorite ground baking spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice) in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to stop the cooking, then stir in a pinch or two of the spice into your applesauce, adding more to taste.

If your recipe called for lemon juice and you forgot to put it in, your mixture will not be acid enough for safe canning. You have to open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan.

For an extra dose of fall sweetness, a drizzle of pure maple syrup is just the thing. You can even go sweet-and-tangy with a quickly simmered combo of a couple teaspoons of pure maple syrup and a splash of apple cider vinegar. This concoction is especially good alongside freshly-seared pork chops or a nice slab of ham.

Adding items like dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins make applesauce a grown-up snack. Pepitas or toasted nuts are excellent add-ins. Adding a spice-filled purée of pears also adds wonderful flavors to applesauce.

Epicurious has three great options for upgrading store-bought sauce—including the old standby of adding your own cinnamon—but the easiest way to get some extra seasonal flavor in there is to drizzle in real maple syrup. If you want a sauce that's sweet and a bit sour, add a splash of apple cider vinegar in there too.

For more sweetness, add chopped dried fruits or raisins. Serve hot applesauce with roast pork or sausages (chicken and turkey sausage work well, too). Applesauce is delicious with crisp-cooked nitrate-free bacon or a vegetarian version of tempeh bacon. Stir roasted nuts into applesauce.