Our family recipe for homemade applesauce could not be easier. Learn how to make your own for less than it costs to buy & it’s so much healthier! Tips on canning & freezing our recipe for applesauce too.
Table of Contents
Easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe
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Prep Time – 10 Minutes
Cooking Time – 30-40 Minutes
Serving Size – 6-8 quart size mason jars
I had never had homemade applesauce before meeting my husband Jason & in my opinion there is no going back to store bought! 🙂
A few years ago Jason’s mom gave us her old applesauce maker & the kids & I have been making applesauce every fall since.
It is a great family tradition & everyone in our family just loves the taste of warm applesauce.
I always have a lot of helpers in the beginning and then they start to dwindle after their tummies have been filled!
Jason’s parents picked up our apples this year at an Amish farm in Ohio.
Three bushels worth of Honey crisp apple seconds for less than $13 a bushel. You just can’t beat that price!
How many bushels of apples to buy for a year’s worth
3 bushels of apples for our family of six is enough to make homemade applesauce to last a year while still leaving some for dried apples & apple crisp! The only way to get apples any cheaper would be to pick from your own tree.
We are hoping to have our own apples in a few years. We planted a small home orchard a few years ago and I can’t wait to harvest our own apple trees in a few years. You can read more about starting an orchard (HERE).
What kind of apples to buy
We always buy seconds of apples because they are cheaper & the apples don’t need to look perfect if you are just making applesauce or using it in other recipes.
In the past we have used Ginger-Gold, Golden Delicious, Summer Rambo, Mcintosh, Cortland, Jonagold & Honeycrisp for applesauce.
It’s amazing how each apple has a different taste.
Some are good for applesauce & some aren’t.
I always ask the farm what they suggest & usually buy whatever they suggest. However, we LOVE honeycrisp & Summer Rambo the best.
It takes me about two full days (with normal activities going) to make all the applesauce.
Cutting & coring apples is a great workout for your arms.
Ingredients & Tools Needed for 1 Batch of Homemade Applesauce
- 1/2 bushel of apples
- water
- 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
- large stock pot
- cutting board, knife or apple corer
- food strainer or applesauce maker
- mason jars & lids
Instructions for How to Make Homemade Applesauce
- 1) Wash, cut and core apples (enough apples to 3/4 fill a stock pot)
Thankfully my applesauce maker doesn’t require me to peel the apples or this process would take a lot longer!
You can also make tomato sauce or baby food with it.
Below is the link to the applesauce maker (food strainer) we have…
Deluxe Food Strainer and Sauce Maker by VICTORIO VKP250
Our applesauce maker (which Jason’s mom bought in 1989), has definitely stood the test of time and made lots & LOTS of applesauce!
- 2) Throw them in stock pot with about an inch of water. Some apples are more juicy than others…it is just important to make sure there is enough water so the apples don’t burn. If that happens forget about your house smelling nice…it will stink for a good full day.
- 3) I add just a teeny bit of cinnamon to the top of the apples about a 1/2 teaspoons worth because we like cinnamon but the cinnamon is not required to make good applesauce.
- 4) Cook the apples for about 30-40 minutes on medium high. Stir apples often to bring soft apples on the bottom up to the top.
- 5) Run them through your apple strainer.
This is a good time to elicit help from the kiddos or your significant other 🙂 Also if you have a spill mat I would recommend putting one down to protect your floors especially with kiddos helping.
Homemade Applesauce Tip to Make more Applesauce
*this year thanks to my father in laws advice we ran the apple skins back through a 2nd time & got even more homemade applesauce*
6) Put the applesauce in jars or tupperware containers. Leave about an inch of space if you are canning or freezing them & make sure to get out any air bubbles before adding the lid.
If you chose to can the homemade applesauce, add the quart jars to your canner & boil for 20 minutes making sure there is enough water over the lids.
How long will Homemade Applesauce Last
I usually freeze most of the applesauce because its the easiest. I only can what I need to after my freezer is filled.
Homemade Applesauce will last a month in your refrigerator & at least 1 year when frozen or canned.
It’s that easy …. & no sugar is needed!!!
Our family, especially Jason, loves warm applesauce on brownies…try it & you’ll see!
I hope our homemade applesauce recipe answers all the questions you have about making applesauce.
by Tara Lehman
Homemade Applesauce
Our family recipe for homemade applesauce could not be easier. Learn how to make your own for less than it costs to buy & it’s so much healthier! Tips on canning & freezing our recipe for applesauce too.
Ingredients
- 1/2 bushel of apples
- 1 inch of water in the bottom of your stock pot
- 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
Instructions
1. Wash, cut and core apples (enough apples to 3/4 fill a stock pot)
2. Throw them in stock pot with about an inch of water. Some apples are more juicy than others…it is just important to make sure there is enough water so the apples don’t burn.
3. I add just a teeny bit of cinnamon to the top of the apples about a 1/2 teaspoons worth because we like cinnamon but the cinnamon is not required to make good applesauce.
4. Cook the apples for about 30-40 minutes on medium high. Stir apples often to bring soft apples on the bottom up to the top.
5. Run them through your apple strainer.
6. Put the applesauce in jars or Tupperware containers. Leave about an inch of space if you are canning or freezing them & make sure to get out any air bubbles before adding the lid 7 boil them in a water canner for at least 20 minutes.
Homemade Strawberry Jam (HERE)
Fall Decorating Ideas from Our Farmhouse
Some More Apple & Fall Ideas you might enjoy
Yum! I was amazed when I learned from my Mom just how easy (and delicious) homemade apple sauce is!
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my homemade applesauce recipe Lori!
When I was little I’d help my grandpa peel and cut the apples. The applesauce was soooooo good.
Homemade applesauce is the best, thanks so much for taking the time to comment & stop by to see our applesauce recipe Florence!
How long cook in boil water with jars?
Thanks for stopping by to read my recipe Cathy, You want to can the homemade applesauce for 20 minutes.
This is a great recipe! I’ve made applesauce similarly for many years. If you family likes apple butter, follow the same recipe cooking it longer so it thickens. Then can it I pint jars. I add more cinnamon for the butter.
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my homemade applesauce recipe Patti! I will defintely think about trying to make some apple butter this fall.
I,am 75 years Young remember as a child canning apple sauce with Nana. We spent one week in fall canning for winter. Your receipt is right on except we peeled the apples so we could make apple jelly out of peels. Apple butter is so good in the winter too. Saraann
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my recipe for homemade applesauce Saraann! What sweet memories to have with your Nana. I will have to save our apple peels this year to try & make some apple jelly.
This is the same way I make my applesauce… I have the same strainer and it makes it so much easier…and, YES, homemade is amazing. We never buy store applesauce anymore. We have an apple tree so I have apples every fall to make applesauce…besides just eating it, we use it in baking in place of oil and I add some to my oatmeal. YUM! We also have an Asian Pear tree and I sometimes mix the pears in with the apples when making my sauce.
So fun that we have the same apple strainer Bobbi! We are hoping to get to the point that we have enough apples on our apple trees that we won’t need to buy any to make homemade applesauce. Love the idea of adding Asian pears to the applesauce too.
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us.
“This is a good time to illicit help from the kiddos or your significant other.” I smiled when I read this! I believe you meant elicit, not something illegal. 🙂
Ha, you are right! Thanks for catching that & thank you for stopping by to check out our family’s recipe for homemade applesauce.
Hi There! I’ve never made applesauce, this is my first time! This recipe seems so easy. When im cooking apples in the water, do I wind up putting the water into the fruit strainer as well as apples? Or do I leave liquid behind? (I have a new kitchenaid veggie/fruit strainer that we just used for tomato sauce, so excited to use for applesauce as well!). Thanks for the help in advance!
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out our homemade applesauce recipe Alicia! I put the entire pot of cooked apples & liquid through our strainer. If it looks like there is more liquid than your would prefer after straining, you can spoon off the excess before putting in canning jars or Tupperware. Have fun making the applesauce!