Roasted Applesauce vs Slow cooker applesauce
 

I had 6 pounds of apples that were getting just a little bit soft and to make applesauce. Since I didn't want to watch them on the stove, I decided to cook them in my slow cooker. When I put all of the apples in, they didn't all fit in my large slow cooker. I looked up other ways to make them and came upon Martha Stewart's Roasted Apples. I decided to do half in the slow cooker and half of them baked.

Martha's called for using whole apples, and since I had already cut them into small pieces, I just used them that way, using her recipe and ignoring the rest of the instructions for baking the whole apples. It only took 30 minutes to bake and boy was it delicious.

In comparison to the baked vs slow cooker, the baked ones had a much better flavor. It was easier to do and was finished cooking in a fraction of the time. Another thing that really made this an easier recipe for the future was the fact that you used small apples, any kind. When they are baked whole, you then put them in a food mill and just grind them down. No need to peel the apples or core them or anything. And after having just peeled, cored and cutting 6 pounds of apples, I am all for the roasted method. Here is the recipe:

Roasted Applesauce 

Roasting the apples really brings out their natural sweetness and having a food mill makes easy work--no peeling, coring, or chopping required. I modified this recipe by leaving out the sugar & butter, and it was still delicious, with flavors reminiscent of apple pie filling. The apples and sugar caramelize on the bottom of the pan as they roast, giving the finished applesauce a marvelous depth of flavor.

Makes eight - ½ cup servings

Ingredients

• ¼ C water
• 6 T packed light-brown sugar
• 1 t fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 pounds small assorted apples, such as Gala, McIntosh, or Fuji (Approx. 10 apples)
• ½ t ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚
2. Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a 9x13” baking dish
3. Scatter butter pieces over mixture and then top with apples
4. Roast until apples are very soft – 30-40 minutes
5. Working in batches, pass apple mixture through the medium dish of a food mill


Cook's Notes:
If you don't have a food mill, core the apples before roasting; after they're cooked, puree the apples in a food processor, and strain before adding spices. Applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, November 2007

Thanks for posting this. Sounds like a great autumn recipe to try.

I will give this a try. I've made apple butter in the crock pot but roasted veggies are my new favorite. Roasting has to be good for apples.......hmmmm I wonder what other fruit would be better done this way.

Thanks for posting this. We have about 30 apple trees and are overwhelmed with apples in the fall. I love Martha. She always comes through with good, practical advice and recipes.

~C

Roasted veggies...yummm. I especially love roasted Brussels sprouts. (Did you see my post over the holidays that uses roasted veggies for stock? ) I"m going to try roasted apples for applesauce next time.

Speaking of Martha Stewart, have you seen her new commercial. Love it!

Sweet apples like Golden Delicious or Wolf River certainly need no added sugar, but I would add the butter. Our brain needs good fat, and this is one healthy way to get some.

I just put some in my oatmeal this morning. Boy, was it good. Made a nice change from plain oatmeal, which I usually do, as I'm too lazy to add other fruits when making oatmeal. Since we only had a little bit of the applesauce remaining (which I had left in chunks), I just threw it in at the last minute to finish off the batch I made. No need for any sweetener and the taste was like eating apple pie in the morning.

Sounds good. But I have never used a food mill....don't own one, but willing to buy it, if I think I could use it for several things.....so what is its purpose and general usage.

Sounds delicious. We've been making applesauce with apples fresh from the orchard in the Instant Pot and that turns out great. Will give the roasted version a try next time we go pick apples.

well, I researched food mill on YouTube and discovered I do know what it is. Years ago, when we were a young family, I used to make my own spaghetti sauce from farm picked Roma tomatoes, for use thruout the year.....anyway, mother in law had one, which I then inherited, it was a continuous feed with large hopper, that dh rigged to make it electric, so I didn't have to keep cranking! This would then feed into a large restaurant type pot for cook down into sauce That was the only thing it was used for....pulled out each fall,assembled, did my canning, then packed away til the next fall. Btw, still have that box, on a high shelf in garage..have since discovered Ragu! But watching a few of the YouTube videos on the handy little ones that fit over a pot/bowl seems like a good gadget to have.....to make thick soups-lentil, split,butternut squash, etc.......may look into it....any recommendations as to brand....

GeriB, I have a big one like that. I'm not sure of the brand, but I've had it forever. We also make our own tomato sauce, as well as catsup, applesauce, jams and jellies each fall. My daughter and her friends borrow it too, so it wanders around the neighborhood until it finds its way back to my place.

~ C

That sounds wonderful. I make it on the stove but will try that recipe next time. In fact I think I have a bag in the refrigerator right now!

I have a small food mill, but I prefer to spoon out some soft chunks before running the rest through the mill. I don't like my applesauce too smooth. When my son who is in his 40s was here recently, I had him do the turning. Reminded him of his childhood. Two of his sisters could have no commercially canned foods, so I had to can or freeze everything they ate. It took a village to do 8 bushels of apples. Four of my five children took turns - one just wasn't strong enough. I don't peel my apples - I like the color and flavor of unpeeled, but I do cut out the seeds. I don't want the arsenic from the seeds to be ground into my applesauce. I see a batch of applesauce tomorrow because there are odds and ends of apples in the fridge. The baked recipe sounds wonderful.