Pink Applesauce (Small Batch)

A few days ago I went apple picking with my husband and daughter and it was magical. We ate straight from the tree until we were sick and went home with a big bag of the most beautiful, delicious Suncrisp apples.

They are the best apples I have ever eaten. We decided right away that they were strictly for snacking. No caramel dipping, no pie making, no apple sauce. Just for chomping into and savoring every bite.

I brought these gigantic juicy suncrisps home and had nowhere to put them because our fruit bowls were already full of apples. Amazingly delicious apples, but not quite as good as these fresh picked suncrisps. So to make some room, I turned some of them into pink applesauce.

I am in love with pink applesauce. Its so pretty. If I could invent a makeup color I think it would be “pink applesauce”.

The thing I love about pink apple sauce is that it is the easiest, simplest kind to make. No peeling and no added sugar. The peels make it pink and the apples are sweet enough on their own. I just make small batches for my family, so I don’t can jars for the whole year. And I don’t have one of those fancy victorio strainers. So this recipe is just for a small batch of apple sauce that you can make with a knife, a pot, and a blender and put right in your fridge. Feel free to use the same methods for larger batches and canning, I just don’t go into detail on how to do that.

Lets get started:

First, select apples with bright red skin. I used Cortlands. I used 11 apples and filled a mason jar, plus a couple bowls for my family to eat right away. Try to pick apples that are on the sweeter side. My Cortlands were very sweet. Also, avoid red delicious. They just don’t make the best sauce. Wash the apples very thoroughly.

Then chop them into chunks, skin on. No need for peeling! Remember,it’s the skin that makes the apple sauce pink. I used a apple slicing tool to make things go faster.

Place all your chunked apples into a large pot. Pour some water and some lemon juice and give it all a stir. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the peels have begun to break down.

Transfer the apples to high powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth. There may still be tiny bits of skin, but you don’t even notice them when eating the apple sauce. If you want, you can add a dash or two of cinnamon. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Here is the long and short of it, without all the pictures splitting it up:

PINK APPLE SAUCE:

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Makes 1-1/2 Mason Jars(amount may vary depending on how big your apples are)

Ingredients:

• 10-12 red apples (I use cortland. Just don’t use red delicious.)
• 1 1/2 TBSP. lemon juice
• 1/2 C. water
• cinnamon to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Select apples with bright red skin. I used Cortlands. I used 11 apples and filled a mason jar, plus a couple bowls for my family to eat right away. Try to pick apples that are on the sweeter side. My Cortlands were very sweet. Also, avoid red delicious. They just don’t make the best sauce. Wash the apples really thoroughly.

2. Chop them into chunks, skin on. No need for peeling! It’s the skin that makes the apple sauce pink. I used a apple slicing tool to make things go faster.

3. Place all your chunked apples into a large pot. Pour in the water and  lemon juice and give it all a stir. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the peels have begun to break down.

4. Transfer the apples to high powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth. There may still be tiny bits of skin, but you don’t even notice them when eating the apple sauce. If you want, you can add a dash or two of cinnamon. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

How about one more picture for good measure…

By Edible Experiments