We may have loved those little plastic tubs of tooth-achingly sweet, smooth-as-baby food applesauce as kids, but these days our tastes have matured. When we think applesauce now, we think lightly sweetened, nicely textured, and homemade. Now that apples are in their prime season, it's time to make a big weekend batch that'll last as long as you let it. Even if you don't can it, sauce will keep longer than fresh apples (the sugar acts as a preservative). If you're going to DIY your sauce, be sure you're actually making a damn good one by avoiding these common mistakes.
1. Taking the Skins Off… and Leaving the Seeds In
Cooking the apples with their skins on imparts an attractive rosy hue to your sauce—the colors leech out into the compote as it cooks. Plus, think of all the time you'll save when you set the peeler aside. Rick Martinez, associate food editor, recommends processing the apples in a food mill, which will catch the skins, leaving you with all of the color and none of the tough, fibrous bits. That said, he does suggest spending a couple of extra minutes removing the cores and seeds with a teaspoon or melon baller. Why bother, if the food mill will stop them from tainting your sauce? "The seeds are tannic," Martinez explains. "Cooking them with the apples will impart a bitter flavor."
2. Cutting the Apples Too Big (Or Small!)
Making applesauce is not an all-day project. If it's cooking for much longer than 30-40 minutes, your apple pieces are too big, says Martinez. Aim for pieces that are 1"-2", and simmer at medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn't scorch. Don't bother going smaller than 1"; you'll just be spending more active time at the cutting board. Equally important is chopping the apples into uniformly-sized pieces; this ensure that they all cook at the same rate.
This recipe combines peaches and apples. Photo: Lennart Weibull
3. Using the Wrong Sweetener
It's best to err on the side of not-so-sweet when simmering together applesauce. You can always doctor it up with maple syrup or honey before serving. Martinez prefers using brown sugar for very tart apples, like Granny Smith, and turbinado or demerara sugar for heirloom varieties with better flavor, like Winesap. Steer clear of white granulated sugar, which is one-note sweet, and won't add those tasty caramel notes we associate with good applesauce.
4. Over- or Undercooking the Apples
Obviously you don't want apples with an al dente bite, but did you know it's possible to overcook them? "Apples lose their flavor rapidly when cooked too long," says Martinez. Remember the infamous Ritz cracker apple pie? The theory is that the layperson can't tell the difference between a pie baked with Ritz rather than apples, because after all that cooking‚ and underneath all that cinnamon—they taste pretty much the same. Test the apples throughout the cooking process by taking a bite or squeezing them between your fingers—if they're squishy with no give, they're done.
5. Using Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon: Yes. Ground cinnamon: No way. Martinez says to add a stick of cinnamon to the pot—just remember to remove it before processing it. Ground cinnamon isn't as flavorful or fragrant as the stick, thanks to a degradation of the oils; they begin losing their potency as soon as the cinnamon is ground (this is true for all spices, actually). So even though you may have purchased it yesterday, who knows how long ago it was processed?
6. Adding Butter
We may anger many a grandmother with The Best Applesauce Recipe Ever, but Martinez says that butter in applesauce is a Don't. While it may add a sheen and silkier texture, the fat in the butter dulls the tartness. Remember, also, that apples lose their flavor quickly, so you're already starting out in the red. A better finisher? A hint of lemon zest.
How to core and slice an apple:
