Wednesday, October 27, 2010

No Recipe Applesauce

Hi Knitters,
First of all I have randomly selected a winner for the Never Not Knitting printed pattern set. Congrats to Jan! Here is the winning comment:
Jan said...
I listen to Never Not Knitting podcasts regularly and just drool over her completed projects, patterns and designs on Ravelry. I have never won a giveaway but maybe my luck would change on this one!

October 23, 2010
On with the baking and baking and baking that has been going on around here these days. Along with my usual weekly cookie baking I have been apple baking up a storm. It all started with the two enormous bags of apples we picked at the farm. I didn't know if I would ever be able to use all of the apples we had picked that day. I easily have used them up and then some!

On a related note, TC had fallen in love with the apple peeler at our neighbor's house. I had always wanted one of these so she gave me the nudge to see if I could find an apple peeler online. I looked it up and sure enough you can get one for twenty bucks right here:


That's what we did.
It is easy to use. This particular peeler has a suction clamp to hold it down. Sometimes it takes a few times of moving the suction lever to get it to adhere but eventually it works.
Not only does it peel the apple is also cored and thinly sliced into a long continuous ring. Notice the French horn player in the background. That photo was not planned, she really was just standing there next to me playing while I peeled apples. She is getting very proficient at her scales and Hot Cross Buns! Here's to progress.
The kids love the apple rings. It's fun to use and fun to eat the apples after.
I don't ever remember baking as many apple dishes as I have this fall. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have made around 10 pans of applesauce this fall. I have given applesauce away and my son brings friends over and serves huge bowls to everyone. I have had to buy more bags of apples to keep up.

I used to make applesauce on the stove in a big pot and I used a recipe from my sister. However, last year I thought I would try baking the applesauce instead. I love this method so much more than the stove top method.

Here is what I do. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Fill up a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with sliced apples. If you are using an apple peeler like mine I break up the rings before putting them in the pan.
Here is TC showing you the rings.

Next, after my pan is filled with apple slices I add enough water so I can just start to see the water mixed in with the apples at the bottom of the pan. I'd say maybe add water to about half of the height of the sliced apples in the pan. There's no measuring here!!
Next, I generously sprinkle sugar over the top of the apples. You can skip this if you don't want to add sugar or you can modify the amount to get sweeter or barely sweetened applesauce.
Lastly, I give the pan a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. You can leave the cinnamon out if you prefer. I happen to love cinnamon and it makes your house smell even better when baking.
I leave it in the oven for a long time, at least an hour and usually more like 90 minutes. I give it a good stir every 15 to 20 minutes. It is ready when the apples have softened and the applesauce is bubbling around the edges. We like the applesauce to be chunky but you could keep baking and stirring until it gets pretty smooth.

Let me know if you try it! I also have a super easy and old family recipe (with actual measurements) for apple crisp that I have been whipping up in between the baked applesauce. Let me know if you are interested in me sharing that recipe, too.

There is a really wonderful giveaway going on right now on Spud says! (my other blog) if you are interested. I don't want you to miss out! Please, if you enter, make sure you leave a comment on the Friends of Spud & Chloƫ forum thread and not on the Spud says! blog post.
best, susie

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Please post your apple crisp recipe! I had some amazing apple crisp and ice cream at Rhinebeck and have been dreaming about it ever since!

forevermore said...

I'm a recipe-aholic and I'm goning to enjoy making, smelling and eating this applesauce (kinda like an easy-2-eat baked apple that isn't necessarily "over" when you have consumed 1 apple :).

Stephanie said...

I would love the apple crisp recipe!! I'm excited its finally cool enough here to start baking. Thanks for sharing your no recipe applesause.

Chalet Shea said...

I would love it if you'd share your family apple crisp recipe! I love that dessert but have yet to find a recipe I want to make over and over and so would enjoy trying your recipe. Thanks!

Kate (KnitsInClass) said...

I am absolutely going to try that recipe! Looks delicious - and I love the smell of apples and cinnamon baking.

Thanks for the link to the awesome apple peeler - our household definitely needs one of those!

Kelly said...

Wow--that looks delicious. I am not much of a cook/baker, but you are inspiring me! Oh, and I remember playing Hot Cross Buns on my clarinet--way to go, TC!

lapdogknits said...

Apple Crisp??? Sign me up with the growing list of folks requesting that recipe!! How cute would an apple hat be with apple rings?
Just a thought.

Jasmine said...

Wow How fun.. I just want to come over to help out. I know my 2year old would have a hay day with those apples..;) Thanks for sharing.
Happy halloween.... ;)

The Goooochilds.

Kristi said...

I have one of those peelers and haven't used it this year...and I have apples...so after reading your post I got to work! Now my house smells delicious and I feel so domestic! Thank you!

Tara Vanderkamp said...

How wonderfully clever! Thank you. My husband and I just put a pot of apples on the stove and then I sat down and read your blog for today. So we're going to try it your way. It's in the oven right now and smells GREAT! I know it will taste great too. I would love to see your recipe for apple crisp, I have 2 in the oven right now with the apple sauce and 3 harvest pumpkin loaves going in next.
Blessings
Tara

Julie P. said...

We have pear trees. After I read your blog, I picked some pears, peeled them with an apple peeler/corer/slicer, and prepared them per your recipe. The house smells great! Thanks for sharing! Please share your apple crisp recipe. :) Jules

Kate Detwiler said...

Please post your apple crisp recipe! I had some amazing apple crisp at a freinds and have been dreaming about makeing some of my own ever since!

Sara in WI said...

I'm going to try it your way now, too! My family likes it smoooothe, though, so I always throw it into the food processor for a quick spin after it cools down a bit. (I just ordered the peeler. You are more than a yarn enabler now, you know!

Ertman-Trowbridge Family said...

I hated making applesauce with my mom as a kid, because of the hot-over-the-stove factor, but baked applesauce is something I am willing to try. Thanks!

Odark30 said...

Do you eat all of the applesauce or have you canned/frozen or just given away some of it??? And yes, the recipe would be appreciated. We LOVE apple crisp. I use half pears, half apples in my grandmothers recipe. Oh, now I'm thinking the grandkids should churn some homemade vanilla ice cream for topping......

Odark30 said...

Do you eat all of the applesauce or have you canned/frozen or just given away some of it??? And yes, the recipe would be appreciated. We LOVE apple crisp. I use half pears, half apples in my grandmothers recipe. Oh, now I'm thinking the grandkids should churn some homemade vanilla ice cream for topping......

Anonymous said...

I would love the apple crisp recipe. It may give me an excuse to go buy one of those peelers too. It all looks so good!

Jaime said...

Sweet Susie, you are the cutest thing ever! I love this recipe and can't wait to try it with our apple-pickins!

I wish we lived next-door to each other! I'd bring you apples and you could make them into apple crisp!

xox