Last week, I wrote a post about bypassing the grocery store produce section in favor of supporting your local farmers. Oregon and Washington produce some of the country’s best apples and pears. This is the time of year we should all be taking advantage of that! Apple season is just getting good so head to your local farmers market, produce stand, or apple orchard and get in on this year’s harvest!
With our apple haul, we do three things : eat, bake, and freeze.
:: We eat apples fresh until the thought of eating another apple in January is like the thought of picking another zucchini in August. If the ”apple a day” motto is accurate, then we are in good shape.
:: I also bake several apple pies or crisps. When my husband walks through the door after a long day or the bathtub faucet is leaking or I accidentally run over something with the car that should not have been run over, I soften the blow by casually mentioning, “Oh, by the way, I baked an apple pie today.” His eyes light up, and everything that happened before that sentence is forgotten. Trust me, it is like magic. I speak from experience. When I’m in a tight spot, I just whip out an apple pie (go here for my favorite recipe).
If you do not consider yourself a baker, then buy a pre-made crust in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I used to do this when I worked full-time; the crusts are easy to assemble and don’t taste half bad either.
:: Finally, freezing applesauce. My little family of four goes through a crazy amount of applesauce. I like to keep our freezer stocked with the homemade stuff because it is super simple to make, and it tastes better than anything you’ll find on the grocery store shelves (see below).
I’m thinking of using up the last of my pint jars by canning applesauce for the first time this year. Advice? Is it worth the effort or should I stick with the freezer method?
This year, I bought a Norpro AppleMate 2 from Bi-Mart. This baby attaches to your countertop and peels, slices, and cores the apples with the crank of the handle. Growing up, my mom had one of these. We just called it the Apple-Peeler-Slicer-Corer. Creative, I know.
I have no idea why it took me so long to get one of my own. They are a brilliant little invention, and for $20, money well-spent because they are such a huge time saver. Even my toddler got in on the action, cranking out spirals of peeled apples. If you have the time & patience, it’s a great way for little hands to help out.
We used Gravenstein apples because they are a soft variety so they break down quickly as they cook. Simply toss the peeled, cored, cut apples into a large pot. Add enough water to keep the apples from scorching on the bottom. It doesn’t take much liquid because the apples will give off quite a bit of their own as they cook. You can always stir and check, adding water as needed.
Let the apples simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. I cook and stir the apples for around 30-45 minutes, giving them more time to break down because I like a smoother applesauce. If you like it perfectly smooth, you could even run it through a blender, food mill, or food processor. For chunkier applesauce, remove it from the heat a bit sooner or mix in other firmer apple varieties that won’t cook down as easily.
This year I froze several small bags of unsweetened applesauce to use as baby food and as an oil-substitute for baking. I sweetened the rest with some sugar to taste. You could use the sweetener of your choice. I keep things pretty simple, but you could also add some cinnamon or other spices, if desired.
Pure comfort food.
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I’d never thought about freezing applesauce. Freezer space is too much of a premium. Canning applesauce is super easy because all you need is a boiling water bath. Won’t take up your freezer space and when you open it, it’s already in a container (I would find scooping applesauce out of a bag a bit messy…)
Oops. I didn’t make that very clear. I only froze the 1/2 cup portions in freezer bags. The sweetened applesauce went into plastic containers.
My chest freezer is filling up. I’m totally going to try canning applesauce next week!
Emily where do you buy your Gravenstein apples and whats a good price?
I bought these from Mt. View just outside Hood River. I paid around .75/lb for them. If you pick your own, it’s closer to .50/lb. Ordinarily for things like cider or apple sauce, buying by the box is a better deal. They don’t have to look pretty and are quite a bit cheaper. I’d prefer to pay closer to .30-.50/lb. when I need a bunch.
Do you know if they spray their apples?
Canning applesauce is super easy. I have a “Back To Basics” food strainer so you don’t even have to peel or core the apples. Just quarter them, cook till soft, stick in the food strainer. The peel, core, seeds come out one end, the sauce comes out another. Put it in jars and process. I don’t ever add anything. If I open a jar and decide I want a little kick, I can add it then. If you don’t have this kind of food stainer I think you are the kind of person who would love it.
I have the same thing and SWEAR by it, makes the process SO much easier and faster. I hate peeling apples! On the plus side, the kids love to help by turning the crank on the food strainer.
We are planning on making some applesauce today! I bought some organic honeycrisp apples for $.29/lb at Everyday Deals on 174th and Powell. They aren’t in the best shape but who cares for applesauce. We also have an apple-peeler-corer thing and the kids love to help with that and they also turn the food mill. Canning applesauce is just like canning peaches, super easy. It just depends on your freezer space. I bought some plastic Ball freezer tubs at Big Lots and froze a bunch of applesauce in those. I imagine regular plastic containers like Ziploc could be used as well.
I went there about an hour ago and they had gotten another shipment in. Now they have Jonagolds. They are so, so delicious. He was asking $5.79 for a box! Thanks so much for the heads up. I can’t wait to get started!!!
I actually have a video about canning applesauce on my website if you’re interested in learning how to do it!
http://www.courageoushomekeeping.com/featured/canning-applesauce-101/
What do you consider a good price for apples during the “season of apples”?
If you head out to the orchards, you’ll find prices anywhere from around .30/lb – $1+/lb, depending on the variety. I usually buy a mix. I also factor in the source when purchasing produce. If I am directly supporting the farmer, I am willing to pay more than in, say, Winco’s produce section.
I’ve been making freezer apple sauce for years! We eat a lot in the winter. When making the applesauce I will sometimes add some peaches, plums or pears. It all depends on if I have something over ripe that I need to use. It give the applesauce an even more complex taste. My boys often brag that their mom makes the best apple sauce. I have bought large boxes of apples out in Estacada for $7 -$10 per box. These were the heritage apples so you never know what kind you will get. I usually get a mixed bag because we like the mixture of flavors. I’ve also run into bags of apples that were sold at $0.49 per pound.
We just moved to Oregon from NC and I am loving all the apples….I am not a huge applesauce fan but I am planning on making a ton of baked apple chips. You just slice them super thin (a mandolin helps), lay out on parchment lined baking sheets in a single layer, and bake at a really low temp for a while. I leave the skins on to keep the fiber. You can also sprinkle with cinnamon, etc before baking (lots of online recipes). I bake then until totally dry and crisp and store at room temp in baggies. SO yummy!
Sara, you don’t use a food dehydrator?
We make apple/pear sauce. There is no need to add any sugar as the pears make the sauce sweeter. I did this one year when we had some pears and apples left and so I made a batch and have been canning it ever since.
Also is the everyday deals is on 174th and Powell? I guess I don’t know where that one is? I thought they were on 172nd and Division? Am I getting them mixed up? I was told by my neighbor about another everyday deals on Stark street out by Rick’s Fencing about 190th?
It is Division. The Eagle Outlet is on Powell, though.
What kind of apples do you use? I usually get fugis and golden delicious for my sauce, but apple/pear sauce sounds soooo good. I want to try some next year!
Canning applesauce is super easy. I don’t have to search through a cold freezer for it, and it really doesn’t take much more time than freezing does. It really is worth canning if you go through the sauce like we do. Then, you don’t have to wait for it to thaw when you need it NOW! I have lots of neighbors who give me cull apples for cookies. One year, I got a whole bin full (10 boxes) and I made applesauce, dried apples, chicken food, pie, apple crisp, canned pie filling and lunches with it. I love my neighbors.
Do you have a good recipe for canned pie filling? I would love to try that!
Rebecca did a great post on that topic last October.
Go here for the steps/recipe:
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-living/frugal-homemaking/in-the-kitchen/canning-apples/
I don’t feel it makes any sense to freeze applesauce. It takes up way to much space in the freezer. I have a freezer full of freezer jam that is never cooked, so it taste more like you are eating fresh fruit. That is the secret. If you cook your jam or make applesauce, just can it. It is very simple and hardly takes any extra time,
also if you happen to get a large amount of apples at a special deal like 25 cents a pound, like I did several months ago with the best granny smith apples I have ever tasted, You can store it for a much longer time that in the freezer
I just bought the same “apple peeler corer” at Ross for $13.99! I love it…one of the best inventions ever!
So this is way late but I had to do something with all of the organic apples I bought from Freddy’s a couple of weeks ago (oh and all the apples I had big plans for making caramel apples with) and finally remembered someone had sent me this link. Thought there might be something in it useful to you. Hopefully there is. Maybe not for this year since your post is almost a month old but hey there’s next year
http://www.utahdealdiva.com/2009/10/ideas-on-using-preserving-apples.html
I didn’t bother peeling my apples this year, and I didn’t fully core them (just removed the stems and seeds). I read an article that indicated there is pectin in the cores that helps the mixture thicken. The applesauce was delicious. I added a small amount of apple cider vinegar and cinnamon.
I also used my crock pot to cook down the mixture overnight to make apple butter. I did add a bit of sugar, nutmeg, and more cinnamon. It is delicious.
Canning is very easy and you don’t need a pressure cooker. Instead, use a large pot with a lid and process for 20 minutes or so. You can find directions online.
Good luck – thanks for your blog!
Here is a tip I got from a friend of mine (thanks, Lacey!) – if you use more than one kind of apple, you don’t need to sweeten your applesauce, it’s plenty sweet enough. I used fuji and golden delicious for some this year, and the flavor was much better for eating than the sauce I made with just fujis. My fuji sauce I’m saving for cooking. Next year I’m going to mix fujis, gala, and golden delicious.
Similarly, and even more sweet, I add a few pears-first as they add more juice & you don’t have to add water, and then it is nicely sweetened without sugar also.
I’m not sure I should let the cat out of the bag, but here goes … Every once in a while Portland Fruit Company (just behind Grocery Outlet on Division in Gresham) has bruised apples for $5 a box. Yes, an entire box of apples for $5. Of course they are various kinds of apples, but when simmered and spiced and yummy, who cares? It’s always delicious.
Love this idea. I had said I was not canning this year, but I’m feeling inspired with the cool weather upon us now. I saw a post elsewhere that mentioned freezing cut up apples in pie plates then transferring to bags once frozen. Makes for easy pie making. Sounded great. I am going to do this freezer apple sauce for sure!! Here in Spokane, WA we have Green Bluff local growers 15 minutes from home. I just took my daughter there today and we picked Italian Prunes and Apples. Can’t wait to try this applesauce method. As for getting it out of the little bags, simply cut the bottom corner off and squeeze into a bowl…what a snap! Thanks for sharing!
I make applesauce whenever I have too many CSA apples and they are getting to be less than ideal for eating fresh. I just use whatever variety I happen to have. But I don’t cook them anywhere near as long as it seems most have been talking about here. I put about 5 apples in a small sausepan with about 1/2 cup and only cook them for 8 minutes at a soft boil. Then I use a potato masher. I like that they are soft but still have a little body (like the expensive chunky brands you can buy at the store). I don’t add any sugar or spices because I think the apples are sweet enough on their own and I like the natural taste. Besides, anywhere you can cut sugar is a good thing. And being less sweet makes them better serving as a side dish at dinner. I make them in small batches to eat right away so I don’t know how well this approach would do in large batches for preserving.
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