Description
Hearty pioneer woman slow cooker applesauce offers a comforting blend of sweet apples simmered to perfection. Homemade goodness fills your kitchen with warmth and nostalgia, inviting you to savor each spoonful of this classic autumn treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) assorted apples
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple juice or apple cider
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Peel and core apples, then dice into uniform cubes, ensuring consistent cooking and optimal texture for the applesauce.
- Initial Layering: Place apple chunks in the slow cooker, pour apple juice or cider over the fruit, and squeeze lemon juice to prevent browning and add a tangy note.
- Seasoning Incorporation: Sprinkle light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt evenly across the apples, gently folding to coat each piece with spices and liquid thoroughly.
- Cooking Process: Cover the slow cooker and set to high heat, allowing apples to simmer for 4 hours. Midway through, stir contents to promote even softening and flavor development.
- Texture Refinement: Use an immersion blender to puree the cooked apples directly in the slow cooker, adjusting blending time to achieve desired smoothness – less blending for chunky, more for silky consistency.
- Cooling and Storage: Let applesauce cool to room temperature, then transfer to clean, airtight containers. Refrigerate to enhance flavor melding and achieve a slightly thicker texture.
- Serving Suggestion: Enjoy the homemade applesauce chilled or at room temperature as a versatile side dish or standalone nutritious snack.
Notes
- Optimize Apple Selection: Choose firm, sweet-tart varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji for maximum flavor complexity and natural sweetness.
- Control Texture Precision: Adjust blending time strategically – quick pulses create rustic chunky sauce, extended blending delivers ultra-smooth consistency.
- Spice Customization Hack: Experiment with additional warming spices like nutmeg, allspice, or vanilla extract to elevate traditional cinnamon profile.
- Storage Smart Tip: Properly sealed homemade applesauce maintains freshness up to 7-10 days refrigerated, making batch cooking incredibly convenient for meal prep.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg