Farmhouse Applesauce

Farmhouse applesauce is a staple for every homestead. I share with you a simple way to make a large batch in a hurry, finishing with water bath canning to enjoy jars of applesauce year ’round.

September rolls around and to me that signifies one thing: harvest! For some it means the kids are back in school and out of the house. But I look at it as that wonderful time of year when I get to harvest the bounty from our humble garden. Oh, and apples, of course! A simple, farmhouse applesauce is on the list.

Gravenstein apples are a classic favorite in western Oregon. Man Cub has many childhood memories of century-old trees that held crisp bites of sweet delight. He often recalls his family harvesting and processing these gems into a delicious sauce or butter that was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

I grew up as a young child in No. Cal. where I have a few simple memories of a grand place called Apple Hill. We would visit and bring home the most delicious apples that I had ever eaten. Somehow the ones in the store just tasted bleck in comparison. My mom didn’t make applesauce, but boy, oh boy, could she make a pie! In fact, she had a recipe that’s title boasted, “The Best Apple Pie.” And it was!

Processing Apples — Farmhouse Applesauce

The easiest way to process a large amount of apples at one time is to have a device that peels, cores, and slices all at once. In years past, I have used an antique, cast iron peeler that was gifted me from my mom-in-law and I loved it. Peeling was fast. Then I would core the apple simply by cutting around the core in four chunks.

This year I was able to purchase an attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. This was a game changer, people! I used it all summer to makes oodles of zoodles from my garden. And now I use it to process 20 lbs. of apples in a matter of minutes. This mama did a happy dance! Hey, you better believe I’m gonna celebrate when I can be frugal providing healthy food for my family and save time doin’ it!

What to do with all those apple peels and cores? I could compost it. But this time I will make my own homemade apple cider vinegar. Look for that tutorial soon!

Using my beloved Instant Pot makes this applesauce ready to can in just 20 min. of pressure cooking time, without worry of scorching. Let’s just say I am a well-rounded, experienced mama in the kitchen. 😉

I use my Instant Pot ALL THE TIME! Seriously, it’s in use at least 4 out of the 7 days in a week. One of the best investments for my kitchen and this homesteading life for sure! I have a recipe tutorial for Homemade Thick Yogurt. It’s super easy and more affordable to make!

Ingredients and Tools

• 20 lb. box of apples; this makes about 5 quarts canned, with a part of a quart for the fridge
• about 2 TBL lemon juice per quart of applesauce, just to be extra safe
• Instant Pot, or a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot
• Immersion blender

The Simple Steps

• wash apples; peel, core, and slice (apples don’t have to be sliced necessarily)
• place prepared apples in Instant Pot and poor 1/2 cup water in the insert pot
• select Manual and High pressure for 10 min.
• once apples are cooked, add lemon juice and blend with an immersion blender to desired consistency
• ladle finished sauce into quart jars and water bath can for 25 min.

Pretty basic and very easy to do, I promise! And oh the taste — so, so good. The gravensteins are so sweet all on their own. No added sugar necessary.

Farmhouse Applesauce Video Tutorial

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Do You Make Applesauce?

One of the very best things about fall is the changing of the temps to cooler weather, which makes me want to get in the kitchen again and turn on the stove. Do you like to make applesauce? Do you prefer to freeze or can?