Honey Cardamom Applesauce

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A few years ago my friend Betsy and I went on an apple-picking trip to a local orchard.  It was a fun fall activity that I hope to do again.  When we got home we made a huge batch of homemade applesauce and it was amazing!  I couldn’t believe how much better it was than store-brought, with a bright flavor and velvety texture.

This year with more free time on my hands I wanted to make applesauce again but wanted to figure out how to make it in the crockpot.  You guys, it’s so easy!  I also wanted to add a flavor other than cinnamon to my applesauce.  I know that Cardamon works well with apples from the apple green tomato pie I make so I decided to use that.

So let’s get to it!

Put the apples in the crockpot and add the honey, water, OJ and cardamom.  The kind of apples you use is totally up to you!  I used Gala apples, but whatever you like to eat will work fine.

Turn your crockpot to high and mix it all together.  Put the lid on and cook for about five hours, stirring halfway through.  When you stir it, make sure you’re going all the way from the bottom so some of the softer apples move to the top.

After five hours check that the apples are very soft.

When they’re ready you are going to puree them.  I use an immersion blender for this, which works perfectly!  I bought one of these handy dandy gadgets a few years ago on Black Friday and definitely recommend getting one!  They are great for soups or hot purees because you blend right in the food, rather than transferring to a food processor or blender so it makes things easier and safer (hot liquids, ouch!). I also like them because they are easier to clean than a food processor with its blade, etc.  Anyway, back to the applesauce!

Puree until you get to your desired constancy.  I like my applesauce completely smooth, but if you like yours a little chunky just stop when it looks right to you. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor or blender.

Now you just need to decide how to store it!  This recipe makes about seven cups of applesauce and it’ll last about a week and a half in the fridge.  If you want to preserve it, you have two choices: freezing or canning.  Both are great!  If you want to freeze it, find freezer-proof jars or plastic containers and fill them with the applesauce.  Then don’t forget to label them.

Canning is a little more involved but worth it if you want to give the applesauce away as gifts or don’t have the freezer space. To do this, start by sanitizing your jars and lids.  You can either put them in the dishwasher (a lot of them have a “sanitizing” setting nowadays) or put them in a pot of boiling water, making sure they are completely covered with water and boil for ten minutes. If you have any lids that are rusty or look questionable in any way, it’s best to throw them out.

Now fill the jars with your applesauce, leaving a little bit of space at the top.  If any applesauce spills on the rim, wipe it off.

Screw the lids on tightly and place them back in the boiling water for ten minutes.

Take the jars out and let them cool overnight.  By then the lids should pop, which tells you they are now properly sealed.  You can also tell by looking at them because the little round part in the middle that was raised is now flat. If you have a jar that didn’t process correctly, boil it again.  Then dry label your jars.

This applesauce is really tasty.  It’s not too sweet so the flavor of the apples really shines through and the cardamom adds a nice warmth.  I like having it as a side for pork chops or in my yogurt for breakfast.

Enjoy!

 

 

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