With fall here, apples are popping up like wildflowers at the farmers market. There are so many different varieties to choose from, and each one offers something amazing. Lets not forget apple picking! So one begins to wonder…what do we do with all these apples? Well, I like to eat them as-is for a snack, or add them to my oatmeal. But one of my favorite treats to make by far is homemade zero waste applesauce. Not only is it delicious, it’s super healthy for you too. Applesauce you find in the store tends to come in plastic containers and is loaded with unnecessary ingredients (like corn syrup, yuck). Skip the plastic and questionable ingredients. Here’s how to make the best tasting applesauce you’ll ever have, from scratch.
Zero Waste Applesauce Recipe From Scratch
Ingredients:
- 6 farmers market or farm fresh apples (use a variety of different apples for better flavor – I used SnapDragon, McIntosh, Gala, Fuji, and Autumn Crisp)
- 2 tbs vegan butter
- 1 scoop of sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup water
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (optional, for additional flavor, to taste)
Note: This will amount to a small snack for about 3 people, and was eaten right away. If you’d like to make more to store, I recommend getting several pounds of apples (5-6lbs) and using 1/2 cup sugar instead of just a scoop. The apples will naturally give it a sweetness. Everything else can remain the same measurement wise.
Directions:
- First, wash, peel and core your apples. I set my cores and peels aside and used it to make apple cider vinegar with it (full recipe for that coming in a few weeks!), but you’ll probably just want to compost them. Chop your apples up – they don’t have to be too tiny, but the smaller they are, the easier they’ll cook. Dicing them is a good idea.
- In a big pot on the stovetop, heat up the butter and then add in your apples. Pour in the juiced lemon and about a quarter cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes (or until the apples are soft).
- Once your apples are soft, you can leave the applesauce chunky, or you can puree it with a blender, food processor, or an immersion blender.
- You can leave it as is, or sweeten it with sugar. Now’s also the time to add your spices of choice in too. Also optional is adding in more butter, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir in until thoroughly combined.
- Serve and enjoy! I added a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top of mine.
That’s it! You can eat it while it’s still warm (which is what I did and I do not regret it). My parents said it was the best applesauce they ever tasted – and they’re big applesauce fans!
Storage: You can store it in the fridge in upcycled glass jars. It’ll keep for up to three weeks. You can also freeze it for long term storage, or can it in a water bath canner.
Would you give this zero waste applesauce a try? Let me know in the comments below! Also, stay tuned for my zero waste apple cider recipe (coming in a few weeks!).
For more fall dishes, check out these 10 Zero Waste Fall Recipes.
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