When prepared in a crockpot, homemade applesauce is easy to make.All you have to do is cut up your apples, add them to the slow cooker with a few other ingredients, and walk away.Within a few hours, your applesauce should be ready.The essential steps you need to take are listed here.
Step 1: The apples need to be washed.
Put apples under cool running water and pat them dry with paper towels.Even though you will be removing the skin from the apple, you should still rinse it to make sure it's clean.During the peeling process, dirt can get transferred to the flesh of the apple.The apples should be more sweet than sour, so Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Red Delicious, Melrose, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious are good options.For the most complex taste, use a variety of apple types.
Step 2: Put the apples in a container.
Remove the peel from apples with a vegetable peeler or paring knife.You could use a three-in-one peeler.All three tasks are accomplished by these hand-operated devices.You peel the apple with a small blade after securing it on the base.An apple is cut into slices by a blade and a sharp center ring.
Step 3: Cut the apples.
To slice the remaining apple, use an apple corer and a knife.If you don't have an apple corer, you can either cut around the core with a paring knife or slice the apple into slices.There are also combination corer-slicers.This tool has a round center blade that cuts out the core, but it also has smaller straight blades that slice the apple as you press down on it.
Step 4: Cut the apples in half.
Use a sharp knife to cut each slice into smaller pieces.It's possible to make applesauce in your slow cooker without cutting the apples down.You can still prepare applesauce if you peel and slice them.It's possible to form slightly smoother applesauce if you cut them down into chunks.
Step 5: The apples should be transferred to the crock pot.
Pack the apple chunks in the slow cooker.You can use a 3-quart crockpot for this amount.It will only be half full if you use a 5-quart crockpot.Anything over that will be too much.If you want to be extra cautious, you can use a specially-designed plastic slow cooker liner.Before adding apples, you could spray the bottom and sides of the crockpot with a light coating of cooking spray.
Step 6: You can sprinkle with lemon juice.
Place the lemon juice over the apples and toss the chunks with a spoon to coat them.The primary purpose of lemon juice is to prevent apples from turning brown.Many cooks skip this step because the apples are brown during the cooking process.It is still recommended to drink lemon juice to balance out the sweet flavor of apples and other ingredients.
Step 7: Add water and seasonings.
The apples should be sprinkled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla.Allow the water to fill up empty gaps beneath the apple chunks by pouring it over them.You don't have to cover the apples with water.It is not recommended to do so because it can lead to very watery applesauce.Before pouring the water over the apples, you could mix the flavorings with it.Since this is being cooked slowly, the flavors will end up being spread out evenly even if you only sprinkle them over the top of the apples.At the end of the cooking process, some cooks prefer to add cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla.If you only add these ingredients at the end, the flavor may not be as deep or complex as if you cook them with the apples.
Step 8: Cook for 6 hours.
The apples should be cooked until they break down into mush.The cooking time can be different.Some recipes only require 4 hours on low, while others require 12 hours.Even though it's unnecessary, you can leave the apples in overnight without ruining them.A large amount of apples will need to be cooked for at least 8 hours on low or high, but for a small amount, 4 to 6 hours should suffice.If the applesauce seems watery after cooking, leave the lid off and cook on high for 30 minutes to help reduce the amount of water.
Step 9: If you want, puree the applesauce.
When you finish cooking the apples, you will be left with a lot of applesauce.If you prefer chunk-free applesauce, you can puree it.If you prefer larger chunks of applesauce, you can either leave it as is or use a metal spoon to make it smaller.If you prefer smooth applesauce, you can puree it with a hand mixer or immersion blender.It is possible to blend the sauce in the crockpot.
Step 10: It's up to you to serve.
The applesauce is ready.It is possible to enjoy it warm or cool it down in the refrigerator.