The season of coziness is upon us! Bring on chunky cable knit sweaters, warm mugs of tea and I have one more idea for you...homemade applesauce. Making your own applesauce is easy and fun to do. And I'm going to walk you through exactly how to do it.

Choosing the Right Apples for Applesauce

There are different opinions out there on the best types of apples to choose when making applesauce. Personally I prefer Granny Smiths. They have the right amount of tartness and cook up nice and creamy. But any apple will work. So if you prefer to use Gala apples, Honeycrisp apples, Golden Delicious or other types, go for it!

To Peel or Not to Peel Your Apples?

That is the question. I peeled mine for this recipe, but I have been known to leave the skins on sometimes. It does add substantial fiber. That fiber is great for digestion. But texture-wise, you have to be in the right mood for that much roughage.

For most folks I recommend peeling. But another option is to leave the skins on, and after cooking your applesauce you can run it through a food mill like this. My Grandma always used a chinois with a heavy wooden pestle to do the job on her applesauce.

Apple Peeling Strategies

Even when it comes to peeling there are different styles. My dad would never be caught using a peeler on an apple. He either uses a paring knife or when he and my brother make apple crisp together they use a fancy gizmo that cores them and spiralizes them at the same time.

I prefer to use a peeler that removes the thinnest amount of peel possible. After washing the apples I peel all 7 or 8 of them. Then I move on to coring them.

Coring Apples for Applesauce

My next step is to slice each apple in half. Then I use a melon ball tool to scoop out the seeds.

Next, I use my knife to notch a little"v" shaped cut on both ends to remove the stem and bottom.

Chopping the Apples for Applesauce

Don't waste time cutting your apples into tiny pieces. Simply chop each half into four big chunks. Period. The apples will get super soft when you cook them so they will mash no problem.

Next place them all in a medium size saucepan like I did below. Make sure the pot is not too full so they don't cook over.

Time to Get Cooking!

Now place your saucepan on the stove, add a little water (amount in the recipe below) and bring them up to a boil over medium high heat. I don't like my applesauce too sweet so I use water, but if you want your apple sauce a touch more sweet you can use maple syrup or other liquid sweeteners in place of the water.

Once it reaches a gentle boil, you'll turn down the heat to cook on low for just 15 to 20 minutes, or until the apples are nice and soft. And then the fun part...

Mashing Your Applesauce

After 20 minutes, your apples should be pretty soft. Time to mash! I used a potato masher to mash my cooked apples. It does a great job and leaves a little bit of nice texture. If however, you want your applesauce silky smooth, you can always put it in a food processor or blender to get the desired consistency.

Spices

I just kept my applesauce really basic, using only apples and water. But if you want to add cinnamon that adds a nice touch. Feel free to get creative with other spices like nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice.

Serving

Serve your applesauce in pretty bowls and feel free to top off with cinnamon. I like to serve it with fresh berries as an optional topping, and my daughter always requests raisins for hers.

I hope you enjoyed learning how easy it is to make your own homemade applesauce. And I also hope it inspires you to try making it. It's fun and kids love to help, giving everyone an enjoyable afternoon project that results in a healthy snack!

Natural Kitchen Cooking School, LLC participates in the Amazon Associate program. This means that we may receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post. Thank you for your support of the work we do here at Natural Kitchen Cooking School!