by Katie
Applesauce is not very difficult
to make, but it can be a little hands on- the peeling, the chopping, the
stirring at the stove. My parents gave us dozens and dozens of apples from their backyard tree, and I knew I wanted to make applesauce, but didn't particularly want to spend the afternoon standing at the stove. Could it be done in a slow cooker instead, I wondered?
It can, and it is so easy I can't imagine ever doing it the old way again.
Slow cooker applesauce
8-12 apples (I used 12, but
you could certainly use less,) cored, peeled, and roughly chopped.
Juice of one half lemon (or
a whole lemon, if your apples are very sweet)
1-2 cinnamon sticks
(or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
a scant 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup water
Put all the ingredients in the
slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Your house will smell like heaven.
Remove the cinnamon sticks and mash the applesauce with a potato masher or run it through a blender, food
mill, or food processor. Enjoy!
(Note: if you have a food mill
or a very strong blender, like a Vitamix, you can even skip the peeling
step. The food mill will separate out the peels and leave you with a chunky
sauce, or the Vitamix will blend the peels right in and give you a velvety
smooth sauce. Both are super tasty.)
(Picture from: canningbasics.com)
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