Applesauce

My applesauce won a Second Place ribbon and the 2012 Tillamook County Fair!

Start by making sure your apples are washed. Yes it is a tedious process but you won't want any dirt on the outside of your apples. Trust me.

Quarter your apples. Seeds and stems do not need to be removed. (This is a plus!)

I use a juicer for this next part. A juicer looks like this:

The bottom portion is filled with water. The top portion is where the quartered apples will go. I fill mine all the way up to the top and put the lid on. The middle portion collects the "juice" that is steamed out of the fruit and comes out the clear tube that you see. I always put a very large stockpot on a stool and place it directly under the clear tube - taking off the metal stopper. This way the juice can come out when it's ready. I will stop the juicer tutorial at this point because this recipe only calls for making apple juice. The soft apples remaining at the top will be used for making applesauce.

Top part of the juicer - the one with all the holes will have your softened apples.  I usually grab the biggest spoon I have and start scooping them into this:

It's sort of old-fashioned.  It's a food strainer.  I start filling it up with the apples - seeds, peels and all.  The wooden paddle smashes the fruit down so only the "sauce" comes out the holes leaving the peels and seeds inside.  This part is the hard part so involve your family.  Especially since they are the ones eating it.  I know there are other food mills out there but this is my preferred method - as old-fashioned as it is.

I have a few really big bowls that I just fill up with my applesauce then proceed to the next step with is heating the sauce back up and adding sugar and cinnamon to taste - if desired.  I don't always add sugar and cinnamon.  I leave some of my sauce unsweetened for baking purposes.  If you feel your sauce is too thick - mix in some of the apple juice you just made from the juicer.

Once your applesauce is heated back up - fill your jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Wipe rims and add hot lids and bands.
Process in a water bath making sure your jars are covered with the hot boiling water.  Process 20 minutes/quarts and 15 minutes/pints.

You will have to make many, many jars to keep your family happy.  I promise. 

Applesauce Spice Cake

This recipe received a white third place ribbon at the 2012 Tillamook County Fair.

Applesauce Spice Cake
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
3/4 cup applesauce

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Fill greased 9x13 cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool and frost if desired.  I usually leave it unfrosted and the family likes it just fine.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8) oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl cream the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add in vanilla and powdered sugar.  Mix until well combined.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cake

I've had this recipe in my cookbook for years. I don't know where it came from. It's a great afterschool snack for the kids though. Especially with a cold glass of milk. You can do this either in a bundt pan or a 9x13 cake pan.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cake
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup milk
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3/4 cup applesauce (I like to use my homecanned sauce - store bought will work well too)
1 cup regular oats

Mix all ingredients well in a mixing bowl. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan or 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. If using the bundt pan - cool for 15 minutes then invert onto a plate for serving.

Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

A recipe from my mom - Marie Rogers. She made these for the boys when we lived in Arizona. I was in the hospital in Phoenix and Mom and Dennis graciously came down from Utah to watch the boys for about a week while I was having back surgery. Apparently they inhaled them she said. I like this recipe because I can incorporate my food storage rotation into it.

Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies
1 1/2 cups margarine or butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups applesauce
6 eggs
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp vanilla
**6 cups flour, maybe more if dough feels runny still
1 TBSP baking soda
1 TBSP salt
**3 cups oatmeal

**Feel free to change these amounts around if you want more oatmeal in your cookies.
Mix all ingredients well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes.

These also taste good with chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts added as well.

Applesauce Apple Butter

I liked this recipe because you use a crockpot. If you have ever made apple butter - it's a time consuming stove top project. It cooks for a really long time. I would imagine this recipe could use regular applesauce with the sugar/cinnamon already added. This recipe comes from my teammate weekend cooker who hails from Northwest Indiana.

Applesauce Apple Butter
1 qt unsweetened applesauce

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on high 8 - 10 hours. Remove lid during last 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

This tastes great on toast or in a PBJ sandwich.