Pink Applesauce

One of my favorite fall treats, and it couldn’t be easier to make: pink applesauce.

I recently had the gift of talking with an apple farmer (if you haven’t checked out the apple post, I definitely would! It’s loaded with info and facts about the apples he grows). He told me about an apples sauce that his family has made for decades, and it’s pink from the skin of really red Cortland apples that he grows on his acres.

According to John, the whole apple has to be as dark red as possible. That comes from it being completely ripe, still on the branch (and when apples fall from branches, as they often do, it shortens their ripening potential. He explained that a lot of the fallen apples also go into cider).

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Smooth vs. Farm Style

Farmer John told me that his mother used a food mill to make the apple sauce super smooth, which you may also find helpful (and delicious). I had bought a food mill for making tomato sauce and quickly realized it also makes the smoothest apple sauce. In a pinch, however, feel free to just make it homestyle with the skin on and try it that way. That works too, and we love it equally in our home.

Recipe

7 Cortland apples, cored and cubed (Winesap and Liberty, winter apples, also work really well)

1/4 water

cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch salt, optional

1. Combine the apples and water in a heavy bottomed pot, cover, and bring the heat to medium (you don’t want to burn them at the beginning).
2. Once they release their juices, raise the heat to medium high and stir often as they soften.
3. After they release their juices, cover, and simmer on medium for about 15 to 20 minutes or so.
4. Continue with the variations below…

Variations

For homestyle apple sauce: at this point, let it cool. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, if using. Store in the fridge up to 4 days.

For smooth apple sauce: run through a food mill. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, if using. Store in the fridge up to 4 days.

For apple butter: run through a food mill. Return to the pot and cook on simmer for quite a while (try another 20-30 minutes) until much of the water has been released. Apple sauce and apple butter just differ in concentration: apple butter is concentrated apple sauce.

Homestyle Pink Apple Sauce & Apple Butter

Andreea Fegan, www.LittleBitesOfJoy.com

An amazingly sweet and comforting fall treat, this pink apple sauce is also beautiful!

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Ingredients

  

• 7 cortland apples, cored and cubed ((Winesap and Liberty, winter apples, also work really well)
• 1/2 cup water
• cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Combine the apples and water in a heavy bottomed pot, and bring the heat to medium (you don't want to burn them at the beginning).
• Once they release their juices, raise the heat to medium high and stir often as they soften.
• After they release their juices, cover, and simmer on medium for about 15 to 20 minutes or so.

Variations

• For homestyle apple sauce: at this point, let it cool. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, if using. Store in the fridge up to 4 days.
• For smooth apple sauce: run through a food mill. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, if using. Store in the fridge up to 4 days.
• For apple butter: run through a food mill. Return to the pot and cook on simmer for quite a while (try another 20-30 minutes) until much of the water has been released. Apple sauce and apple butter just differ in concentration: apple butter is concentrated apple sauce.