How to Make Homemade Sugar-Free Applesauce

Home-made applesauce is family favorite. I don't mind making it because it is very easy to make, especially when you use a mix of fall apples the only ingredient that you need is ... Apples. On a recent trip to a local apple and pumpkin farm I bought two 1/2 bushel bags of seconds for $8.00 a bag. A 1/2 bushel bag of regular apples was $12, but when I saw that the seconds were in really good condition, it was a no-brainer. So I sorted through the bins and my kids helped me fill the bags full with Ginger Gold, Yellow Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, McIntosh, Fuji, Jonagold.

I brought them home and got started on the applesauce right away. I also made a pie, but it was gobbled up before I thought about taking a picture.

I have to admit my way of making applesauce is made easier because of this handy gadget, a food strainer and sauce maker. It is a hand-me-down from my mom and it makes the job easy and fast. If you see one at a yard sale or thrift store, it might be worth your investment, as the price sticker is still on this box at $47.95.

Because of my food strainer, all I have to do is wash the apples and cut them into quarters. I don't have to peel or worry about the seeds...you'll see why below. I put a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the pans so that the apples don't scorch and then I cover and cook on medium until they are mushy. Stir often to also avoid scorching.

You can still see some of the slices, but most of what I was putting into the funnel was mushy.

I didn't get a great shot of the whole contraption, but I put apples in the funnel that is in above picture and then I turn the handle (on the right) and applesauce just slides through a screen and right down into the bowl.

The funnel on the right of the picture is the waste funnel. All of the skin and seeds are pushed through that funnel and into my garbage bowl.

This is a picture of the peels and I put them through the strainer one more time and reduced this waste even more as I squeeze out more applesauce.

My finished applesauce. I let it cool and then put into freezer containers. We eat it all year long. I also use it in baking. I went back to the farm and I bought another 1/2 bushel bag and made more sauce. My daughter was invited to a birthday party next weekend at the same farm and I'm sure I'll get another bag or 2 to make even more.

I think the secret to making delicious applesauce is using a blend of your favorite apples. This sauce didn't need an ounce of sugar because I used a blend of 7 apples that range from sweet to tart. In the past I always used Ginger Gold, because that is my favorite apple for pies, but when using them for applesauce I felt it needed a little sugar in to sweeten a bit.

Do you make your own applesauce? What are your favorite apples to use?

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This post is linked to:

• $5 Dinners
• Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam
• Tempt my Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• Friday Foods at Momtrends
• Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
• October Fest Carnival of Super Foods -The Un-Processed Foods edition at Kitchen Stewardship
• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

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