Divinely Delicious Roasted Applesauce
You may be thinking applesauce is just applesauce, but I am here to let you know on this second to last Monday in the year of 2017, that that is only because you have never tasted homemade applesauce, specifically this roasted version. Homemade applesauce is to store-bought applesauce as watching the Super Bowl at home is to actually being in the stadium! Not that I judge you if you have to use the jarred version --there are no judgements here--I use the store-bought kind all the time. It's just if you have the time and inclination (and the apples), you will find yourself actually swooning over spoonfuls of applesauce!
Guys, there are just so many reasons to make this divinely delicious roasted applesauce right now. First off, it's still apple season and if you've gone anywhere near an apple orchard lately and are trying to figure out what to do with all the pounds of apples you had to have, here's an easy way to not waste a single apple-y bite! Second, the roasting allows the apples to caramelize a bit, drawing out all their natural sweetness, so you can keep this incredibly low in sugar and healthier for you and your loved ones. Then, and this is not in order of importance, there's the absolutely amazing taste and texture that no jarred sauce can compete with. And last but not least, it is the basis for a pretty awesome and foolproof caramel apple cake that I am going to share with you tomorrow and that I'm pretty sure you're going to want to include for Thanksgiving and maybe every other holiday from now on. It's that good and so-o-o easy!! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Tomorrow is another day. Make the sauce people, make the sauce!!
Divinely Delicious Roasted Applesauce
Makes about 5 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Roast Time: Under 1 hour
Ingredients
- 10 large apples-about 6 pounds (it's best to use a variety of tart and sweet apples--I used Gala and Honeycrisp but this would also work well with Macoun, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith--mostly apples you'd primarily use for cooking rather than eating mixed with a couple of the kind you'd only use for eating as is
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Place them into a large bowl and toss with the salt and sugar. Then, divide the apples evenly between the two prepared pans and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until apples are tender. Raise oven to 500ºF, uncover the sheets and bake for another 10 minutes or so to allow apples to brown a bit.
3. Remove from the oven and mash up with a fork if you want a chunky applesauce. If you want something a bit smoother, blend in the food processor, blender or use an immersion blender to achieve the desired consistency. Allow to cool, then store in glass jars or airtight containers in the fridge for about a week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Judy Rodgers of the Zuni Café.
