Homemade Spiced Applesauce

Jump To Recipe by Cindy @mycountrytable

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Fill your kitchen with the intoxicating aroma of warm spices, when you make this Homemade Spiced Applesauce made from fresh-baked apples, warm spices, and brown sugar. A perfect touch of fall.

I can’t believe Labor Day is one week away, and here in Kentucky, we’ve had beautiful Fall-like weather the past couple of days. I’ve had all of my windows open and I am chomping at the bit, waiting for Fall to actually arrive and the leaves to start turning.

When I think about Fall, I think of pumpkins, apples and warm spices, and yesterday my mind was gearing towards baking something with apples. Something with apples and warm spices. Something I could eat for breakfast or dessert. It didn’t take long for me to decide on homemade chunky applesauce spiced with warm spices. It would be something simple. I could make it on the stove top, in a crock pot or bake it in the oven. Since I was going to be home all day, and it was nice and cool, I decided to use my oven.

The Best Apples to Use

I decided to use apples that were great for baking, so I sent my husband, Don, to get me some tart Granny Smith apples and some sweet Gala apples. Any baking apple will work such as Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Winesap, etc. You just wanna make sure you have a balance of tart and sweet.

The warmly spiced mixture

1/4 cup, (1/2 stick) real butter, unsalted
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

How to make…

Place butter, sugar, cinnamon and allspice in a small saucepan.
Heat over medium heat until butter has melted and mix to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

The Apples

3 pounds Granny Smith apples
3 pounds sweet baking apples such as McIntosh, Gala

Prepping and baking…

Peel and core apples. Cut into wedges about 1/2 inch wide and cut wedges in half to form chunks.
Place apples in a dutch oven or (non-reactive pan). Add the sugar mixture and toss to coat all of the apples.
Place lid on dutch oven. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until apples are tender.
Using a potato masher, mash about one half of the apples and leave the rest in chunks, or you can mash all of them if you prefer. I like some chunks in mine.

Pro tip for this recipe

When making applesauce, make sure to use a non reactive pan.Why? I’ll explain. Apples are acidic. Acidic foods react with reactive pans, such as copper and aluminum. If you cook apples in one of these pans, especially if you are simmering them for a while, the result will be a mild metallic taste in the apples. Ceramic, glass, stainless or any metal with an enamel coating is safe and non reactive cookware for cooking acidic foods. I love to use my dutch oven.

This spiced applesauce tastes wonderful along side some fluffy biscuits or potato latkes.

How to make on the stove top!

Simmer over medium low heat for approximately 25 minutes until apples are very tender, stirring frequently

How to make in a crockpot!

Add 1/2 cup water and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours until very tender.

How To Can This Applesauce

It’s super easy to can this applesauce. I can several jars in the fall to use throughout the winter months. I love to leave mine on the chunky side and eat it on biscuits. This recipe will make 5 pints of applesauce.

During the last 15 minutes of baking the applesauce, fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1-inch. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to the water. This will prevent a cloudy film on the outside of your jars. Heat on high heat, until it comes to a boil. Cover with the lid and reduce heat to medium while you fill the jars.
Once you bake the applesauce, turn the oven down to 200 degrees. Remove the pot from the oven and leave the lid on. Place clean jars on their side on the oven rack for about 5 to 7 minutes or until hot to the touch. I use pint jars. Place the jars on a towel.
Using a funnel, ladle the hot applesauce into the hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove the air bubbles. Use a clean cloth to wipe off the top rim of each jar, then center the lid on the jar, and adjust the band to fingertip-tight.
Place the jars in the canner, and place the lid on the canner. Process for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Leave the jars in the canner for 5 additional minutes, then remove and transfer jars to a towel, leaving at least 1-inch between them, so they cool properly.
Allow the jars to dry and stand undisturbed for for 12 to 24 hours before disturbing the jars or removing the bands. Check the seals, label and date jars, and store them in a cool dry place. Applesauce can be store for up to 2 years when properly processed and sealed.

Love apples? Check out these apple recipes…Country Apple Pie, Rustic Apple Galette, Fresh Apple Cake, Apple Cinnamon Bread, & Apple Fritters.

Happy Prelude to Fall…

If you make this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

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