Foraging Apples – Handmade Applesauce and Apple Butter

Walker is a good helper. He listens and picks what is pointed out. But most of all, he fits under fences 😉 Hehheh….Which is needed for getting those apples on the other side, of empty homes. After we cleaned the tree, we walked over a few streets, to a tree whose apples had been offered to me to pick (love having a community online board to post on!). After loading up bags of apples, Walker and I plopped them into the stroller and headed off to pick blackberries a few more blocks away (we have been busy foraging).

Psssttt….guess what is coming up?

National Can-It-Forward Day! And they even have lots of fun stuff to host a canning party. How cool is that?

My inspiration for this applesauce came out of my copy of Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. Awhile back I was at our local hardware store and was wandering the canning/preserving section (Yes, we have a real hardware store. With a massive canning section. Old school out in the boonies!), when I started reading the backs of various Ball products. One was Fruit-Fresh. I don’t normally pick up items like this, but I wanted to try it out. And see if there was a real difference. I would say that yes, it works. I have never had such gorgeous light colored applesauce! Yeah, slightly processed I know. But when Alistaire had a small bowl of it and was smiling at me, it was worth it.

PS: The best clearance bargain I have found over the years? One of these: Norpro Apple Master Parer, Slicer and Corer. If you are doing a lot of apples, get one. I never realized just how much time it would save me till I used one.

Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 12 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp Fruit-Fresh
• 3 cinnamon sticks (about 4″ long)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Add apples, water, Fruit-Fresh and cinnamon sticks to a heavy pan, cook covered over medium until apples are falling apart. Mash if desired. Stir in sugar till dissolved.

Ladle into clean jars, leaving ½” headspace, seal. Refrigerate or freeze for long term storage.

Makes about 2 pints.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• 6½ pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Toss apples with sugar through salt, add to slow cooker. Cook on low, covered, for 10 to 12 hours, stirring periodically.

Remove lid, stir in vanilla and cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring often.

Let cool a bit, puree with an immersion blender until smooth.

Ladle into clean jars, leaving a ½ to 1″ headspace, seal tightly.

Store in refrigerator or freezer, for long term storage.

Makes 3 pints.

~Sarah