Applesauce is so basic, so good, and so simple to make. Soon it will be fall and apples will be ready to harvest. If you have ever wanted to make applesauce, now is the time to try!
I used to cook my quartered/cored apples in a large stock pot on top of the stove. The steamed, cooked apples would go into a food mill, where the apples would be pushed down with a large, wooden stick. The sauce would come down a large funnel, and the peelings would come out of the other end.
It was messy, hot work, but now, there's an easier, faster way - using your pressure cooker!
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| OXO Good Grips Digital Scale |
Choosing Your Apples
Some apples work better for freezing. Some are more suited for eating and others are better for making applesauce. Which to choose? Here are some suggestions. You can mix or match apples to create your own custom made applesauce.
- Braeburn - sweet/tart
- Cameo
- Cortland - similar to McIntosh, but sweeter/tarter
- Crispin (Mutsu)
- Empire - very sweet when baked
- Fuji -sweet/tart,watery
- Gala - thin skinned, but grainy texture
- Golden Delicious - sweet, thin skinned
- Gravenstein
- Ida Red
- Jonagold - sweet, thin skinned
- Jonamac
- Jonathan
- Liberty
- McIntosh - strong structure of pectin
- Newtown Pippin
- Rome Beauty - mild, thick skin
- Stayman
- Winesap
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| Apple Corer, Slicer, Peeler - All in One! |
Skin On or Off?
Leaving the skins on will give your applesauce a pink or rosy color. Skins can be fibrous, and if you have a food mill, it will catch all the skins and leave you with a silky, smooth applesauce. If you have a good food processor or blender, you can use it to finely pulverize the skins.
I like to use a Slicer/Corer/Peeler - It saves SO much prep time! It took me 6 min to prep 3 pounds of apples, about 10 medium apples.
Don't throw away the peels! Use them to make your own Apple Cider Vinegar...
Truly liquid gold in a jar!
If you want to leave your skins on, you can try this Apple Slicer/corer.
Core the Apples?
Yes, you will want to core the apples. The seeds are tannic and will impart a bitter taste.
Size?
When cutting your apples, you will want to cut them into quarters or smaller. Try to keep them uniform in size. An apple corer/slicer or peeler works great!
Sweeten and when?
Apples are naturally sweet, so you will want to taste your applesauce and adjust it to your taste. You can use your choice of sweetener, apple juice, brown sugar, especially if you are using tart apples. Brown sugar can give a caramel taste to your applesauce.
Can I Double the Recipe?
If you are using a 6 quart pressure cooker, I would not recommend it. Apples foam when cooking under pressure, and pressure cookers should not be filled more than half full.
If you fill your pot more than half full, you will not be able to quick release the pressure valve without applesauce spraying out from the valve and clogging it. If you want to make a bigger batch of applesauce, you will need to make multiple batches.
You may note that this recipe only uses 1/4 cup of liquid. Apples will give off a lot of liquid on their own and 1/4 cup is enough to get the pressure going. This amount will also help you create a nice, thick applesauce. You can use water, apple juice, apple cider, or yogurt whey.
I like to use an immersion blender, directly into the pot. It saves me another dish to wash, and I can control the texture; ultra smooth, or a little bit chunky. You can use a food processor, or an inexpensive potato masher.
Enjoy warm, or chill for a refreshing treat. Enjoy!
6 min prep
8 min to pressure
4 min cook time
2 min QR
TOTAL TIME: 20 min, Start to Finish
Easy Thick Applesauce - Pressure Cooker
Use your pressure cooker to enjoy no sugar added, thick applesauce! Choose a blend of baking apples or a sweet/tart apple (such as Fuji). This recipe doesn't need a lot of liquid, as apples naturally release liquid in the form of juice to help create pressure. Do not fill the cooker more than half full, as apples foam and can spray through the pressure valve during the release.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (8-10 medium apples) cooking/baking apples
- 1/4 cup water, apple juice or yogurt whey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
1. Wash, peel, quarter and core the apples. If you have a thin-skinned apple, you can leave the peels on.2. Pour 1/4 cup liquid of your choice into the pressure cooker.3. Add prepared apples into the pressure cooker.4. Close lid, close pressure valve, select HIGH pressure, and time for 4 minutes.5. At the end of the cook time, open the pressure valve (Quick Release). 6. Remove the cinnamon stick, if used.7. Use an immersion stick blender or potato masher to blend the cooked apples to your desired consistency.8. Taste for sweetness and add your choice of sweetener. Examples: brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.Applesauce will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 1-2 months. You can water bath can your applesauce for longer storage.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 cups
This is easier, you're spot on
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