This homemade applesauce recipe is the one I have been making since I was a child. It’s easy.
So many people look at me in surprise when they hear that I make applesauce instead of buying it at the store.
This post may contain affiliate links; I'll earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase.
It has simply never occurred to them to wonder how to make applesauce, they’re so used to buying it at the supermarket.
I’m here to tell you that this applesauce recipe is easy and well worth it.
I grew up on an apple farm. When one grows up on an apple farm, one gets a bit picky about applesauce. It should be nice and chunky, with lots of cinnamon, and it must be made from Gravenstein apples.
Of course, that last rule is entirely flexible depending upon your preferences, but I assure you that Gravenstein apples are the best.
My applesauce recipe doesn’t require any measuring. How simple is that?
No need for perfection
You’ll save a substantial amount of money if you track down a farmer who is willing to sell you her culls or seconds.
These apples are bruised or blemished, but perfectly fine for turning into homemade applesauce. Just trim out the bad parts and use the rest.
Homemade applesauce recipe
There’s a recipe below, complete with measurements. In reality, though? You don’t need to measure. You can easily make a batch of applesauce to suit your needs.
I’ve made this in a huge stock pot. I’ve made a small batch of homemade applesauce in a saucepan.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Peel, core, and cut apples into roughly 1″ chunks. Use enough apples to fill your chosen pot. Use a saucepan for a small batch or a stock pot for a large batch.
2. Pour apple juice into your pot to a depth of about 1″ for a small batch, 2″ for a large batch.
Related: Make this Pecan Applesauce Cake
3. Cover your pot and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until apples become tender. Use a potato masher to break them up until your sauce reaches desired consistency.
Alternatively, you can do this in your slow cooker. Same drill: Fill the slow cooker with apple chunks, put about an inch of apple juice in the bottom, and cook on low all day.
4. Stir in plenty of cinnamon. I don’t use sugar, but if you like your applesauce sweeter, by all means stir some in.
5. Serve warm or chilled, or proceed with canning steps below.
Related: Small Batch Instant Pot Applesauce
Related:
- Grandma’s Apple Pie Recipe From Scratch
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp Recipe Fresh from the Farm
- Skillet Apple Pie: How to Make Apple Pie in Cast Iron
Preserving your applesauce
This recipe can be processed in a water bath canner to make it shelf stable. (See instructions below.)
If you’ve got more than you can use but don’t want to go through the canning process, you can freeze it, too.
We eat this homemade applesauce by the bowlful, but if you’re looking for more ways to use canned applesauce, check out these sweet and savory ideas!
★ Did you make this homemade applesauce recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★
Homemade Applesauce Recipe
This fresh applesauce recipe is easy to make at home when apples are in season
Ingredients
- 3 cups apple juice or water
- 8 cups apples chopped
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
-
Peel, core, and cut apples into roughly 1" chunks.
-
Combine apples and apple juice (or water) in a large stock pot.
-
SHORTCUT: You can skip measuring the ingredients entirely and simply fill a pot with apple chunks. Add juice or water to a depth of about 2" and cook as directed.
-
Cover the pot and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until apples become tender. Use a potato masher to break them up until your sauce reaches desired consistency.
-
Stir in cinnamon.
-
Serve warm or chilled, or proceed with canning steps below.
If you've got more than you can use but don't want to go through the canning process, you can freeze it, too.
Home canning your applesauce
-
Ladle hot applesauce into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space.
-
Wipe rims with a damp cloth (to assure a good seal), screw lids on, and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. (Click through for a complete tutorial on water bath canning if you’ve never done it before.)
Recipe Notes
Alternatively, you can do this in your slow cooker. Same drill: Fill the slow cooker with apple chunks, put about an inch of apple juice in the bottom, and cook on low all day.
_____________________________________
This applesauce recipe can be made with varying amounts of apples. See text above for more.
This post was originally published in August, 2013. Updated, August 2018.
Blueberry Ginger Spiced Nectarines in Light Honey Syrup
Hi! I see you say to add apple juice. Right now I only have apple cider from our local farm. Is that ok to use? Thanks!
But then weʻd have to get into a whole conversation about the difference between juice and cider! (Cider is generally the term for fermented apple juice, but a lot of people use the term interchangeably, calling fresh squeezed apple juice “cider.” I sounds more old fashioned, doesnʻt it?) Short answer, yes. 😉
Juice vs cider is actually the extraction process. Cider is cold press, juice is heat processed.
So how many pounds do you do on average? Any any apple juice?
In past years – living in apple country – I’d do about 120-150 pounds each year. My dad has a cider press, so we let him do the making of apple juice. 😉
We have had such a bumper apple crop the past few years at our place, we have had to get a bit creative with how we preserve our apples. We have tried sauce, cider, juice, but the most effective for our family was making a bunch of stewed apple slices, like we did here: http://bit.ly/1Cc276Y. Great share 🙂
Delicious!
How long is this good in the refrigerator for? Do i need to add anything for preserving?
It should last – as is – in the fridge for 10 days or so. If you need to preserve it longer, either can it or freeze it.