Homemade Applesauce & 10 Ways To Enjoy It

My fruit bowl has been overflowing with Apples lately. So I've been thinking - when life gives you apples make Homemade Applesauce!

You may be thinking, why would I make applesauce when I can buy jarred applesauce instead. Well, as with other homemade goods - making it yourself means you know exactly what's in your applesauce. You can be sure that it doesn't include added sugars, preservatives and other nasty ingredients found in store bought apple sauce.

My kids adore apples in all their forms. In fact, while attempting to photograph the apples needed for the recipe, my 2 year old climbed up to the table and stole one from the display...

Luckily I had already taken a couple of photos before he got his little hands on one of the apples! 

I've kept the applesauce plain and simple with no sugar or other additions. That way you can use the finished product for any of the 10 uses which follow the recipe. You could add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a little sugar or lemon juice if you would like to flavor or sweeten your homemade applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce
1kg/8 Medium Apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 Cup Water

1. Place the apples and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring up to the boil and when boiling reduce the heat and simmer gently.
3. Stir regularly to help break up the apple.
4. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the applesauce reaches your desired consistency.
5. Allow to cool then puree or sieve the applesauce if you want it to be smooth, otherwise keep it as it is and pour into sterilized jars. Store in the fridge.

Makes 2 Cups

Now that you've made your Homemade Applesauce, here are 10 ways to enjoy your bounty:

1. As a sweet dip for vegetables.

2. Mixed through plain, natural yoghurt.

3. As a replacement for sugar in baked treats.

4. As a replacement for butter/oil in baked treats.

5. As a replacement for eggs in baked treats.

6. Spread on pancakes.

7. Spread on sandwiches.

8. As a relish for burgers.

9. Mixed into a smoothie.

10. As a dip for homemade fritters.

I'd love to hear from you. How do you use applesauce?