30-Minute Stovetop Applesauce
Crisp fall apples cooked down with a touch of sugar and spices - this small batch recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
Yield: 1 ½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds / 680 g apples, about 4 medium or 3 large apples*
- ½ cup / 120 g filtered water
- 2-4 tablespoons / 50 g brown sugar, more or less to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons / 30 g lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice apples into 1/2-inch pieces. You should have about 3 cups of diced apple.
- Place diced apple in a medium saucepan along with water and lemon juice. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to soften and break down (some types of apples may require slightly longer).
- Add brown sugar to taste, along with spices and salt.
- For a chunky applesauce, mash softened apples right in the saucepan using a potato masher.
- For a smoother consistency, run softened apples through a food mill fitted with the coarse screen (or, if you don't have a food mill, pulse a few times in a food processor; you want it saucy, but not liquefied.)
- Return applesauce to saucepan over medium-low heat. Gently simmer, stirring regularly, for another 3 to 5 minutes or so or until thick and saucy (slightly longer if you want a thicker sauce). Give it a final taste, you can always add more sugar, spices, or even lemon juice at this point too if desired.
- Let cool to lukewarm, then transfer to a jar or airtight container to and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
- I recommend using a mix of crisp and soft apples (I used one each of honeycrisp, gala, and granny smith).