I used to love canning applesauce with my mom! We’d spend a day at the local produce store picking out all the perfect apples and checking for just the right selection for our sauce, which would last throughout the whole year. On chilly days, we’d pull one from the pantry to warm up and enjoy.
These days I rarely have time for a full “canning” day so I came up with this recipe, which has an even healthier and more modern vibe. Mashing instead of pureeing leaves the applesauce chunky and gives it more substance. Plus, using the slow cooker brings out the sweetness in the apples so you don’t even need to add any sugar!
- Wash the apples and chop them into 1/2-1 inch squares.
- Turn the slow cooker on high and put the apples inside.
- Add the spices and water.
- Cover and leave them there for two hours.
- Mash them with a potato masher.
- Cover them again for another hour or until they mash very easily.
- Mash until you get the consistency you like.
I've done this with every type of apple out there. They all taste amazing. I usually go for the lowest cost organic apples and mix a couple of different varieties. If you MUST have a sweeter taste, put a packet of stevia on the top and mix it in. Honestly, it doesn't need it though. You can also put this on top of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt for an "a la mode" taste.
