The Season's First Batch of Applesauce
This season's apple trees have been producing tons and tons of fruit.
We won't be picking apples for several more weeks, but here at my Bedford, New York farm, the trees are just brimming with juicy, delicious apples. I have many apple trees here - the large ones were on the property when I bought it, and are believed to be at least 60-years old. I also have espaliered apple trees that I planted soon after I moved to the area - and of course, I have more apple trees planted in the orchard. Soon, we will have lots and lots of apples for pies, tarts, cakes, and sauces. Yesterday, my housekeeper, Sanu, made a small batch of sauce using some of the apples that had fallen to the ground - it is such an easy process.
Enjoy these photos.
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- The apples at the farm are almost ready. This dwarf espalier apple orchard is just behind my long carport and flower room. Father Legendre of France is credited with pioneering the espalier growing method in 1684. Because sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning continues to be a standard procedure at commercial orchards in France.
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- The trees have been trained to grow on a wire, which is strung between heavy stone posts. These beautiful posts were originally grape stakes from defunct vineyards in China.
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- This apple tree sits nearby just outside my blog studio. It is a very old apple tree and original to the farm. The apple tree is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet fruit. I have many different varieties growing at my farm – many of them I use for eating, while others are better suited for baking and for making applesauce and cider.
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- All these apples fell to the ground after a rainstorm, so I decided to gather them up and make a batch of applesauce. Always be sure they get thoroughly washed before cooking them.
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- Sanu cuts each apple in half, and double-checks there are no seeds. This is important because seeds are tannic and cooking with them will impart a bitter taste.
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- Then she cuts the halves in quarters and cores each piece, removing any seeds she sees, and leaves the skins on them. Cooking the apples with their skins saves time and provides a nice color to the sauce.
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- Here’s a clean quarter all cored and cut.
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- All the discarded pieces will go straight to my chickens – they love pecking at the sweet fruits.
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- Place the apple halves directly into a heavy-bottomed pot. Apples, Malus domestica, are low in calories, rich in dietary fiber and full of antioxidants.
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- After every 12-apples or so, add the juice of half a lemon. This is my favorite citrus press – I designed it for my collection at Macy’s. If you don’t already have one, it’s available at Macy’s stores and on their web site – you will love how easy it is to use. https://mcys.co/2kvTrcH
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- Sanu places the lemon half into the press and squeezes it directly into the pot.
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- Be sure to squeeze all the juice out of the lemon – this press makes it so easy to do.
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- Lemon juice helps keep the apples from browning, because it is full of ascorbic acid and it has a low pH level. It also helps bring out the color from the skins.
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- Next, for every 12-apples Sanu also adds about a cup of water before cooking.
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- Sanu pours the water over all the apples.
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- And then sets the pot over medium to high heat just until they start to cook. And, guess what? That is all you need – you don’t need any sugar at all. The apples will start to cook right away.
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- Occasionally, Sanu stirs the apples with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Within minutes, they start to soften.
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- Sanu places the lid on top leaving it just slightly askew, so the steam can escape.
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- Here’s another pot that has been cooking for a bit longer. Once the pot of apples starts to bubble – bring the heat down to low. My stainless steel pots from Macy’s are perfect for making applesauce – they are very durable for even the heaviest of apples. https://mcys.co/2kw5d75
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- The process doesn’t take long – the skins fall off after about half an hour to 45-minutes.
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- And, what you end up with is pure, naturally sweet and delicious applesauce.
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- Once done, the sauce is left to cool on the counter before going into the refrigerator. Tomorrow, I will pass all the sauce through a mesh strainer or sieve over a bowl to remove any skins and then store in quart-sized reusable containers. Homemade applesauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a couple of months.
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