Last year I tried two kinds of sauce...a combination of Cortland /Macintosh, and a combination of Ida Red / Crispin. Both kinds were sweet enough for our taste buds that I added very little or no sugar to the sauce. The consensus here was that the Ida Red / Crispin combo was the best.
Both of these varieties ripen in late September or early October, which is great for my schedule. I can wait until after the fair is over, and the kitchen is much cooler this time of year. So, yesterday I headed to the fruit farm and picked up four bags of apples.
I cut them into small chunks, mixing both varieties in my kettles. No need to peel or core them, because I use a handy Victorio strainer. These are the Ida Red, with white flesh and dark red skins. They make a pretty pink colored sauce...
The Crispin were gigantic this year. Each apple was at least twice the size of the Ida Red...
Cooked, and in the Victorio strainer...
Applesauce!
I got a total of twenty four quart jars from these four bags of apples...
Last year, I must have had a higher ratio of Ida Red to Crispin, because the sauce was much more pink, but it tastes good all the same. No extra sugar added.
Now I think I can officially put away my canning supplies until next year!
That strainer sure works well! It's on my list for next year. I planted 5 apple trees, but forgot to mark down what type each one was. (Likely three types of apples. The tree that produced this year looks very similar to your first picture.
ReplyDeleteLast year I used ginger gold, VERY yummy and didn't need much sugar. I love summer rambo, but it always ripens before I remember it and then it's too late. This year I used Cortland, and they were so tart that I needed to add so much sugar. :-( I was disappointed. I'm going to try to use a mixture next year, my mom does that too.
ReplyDeleteOh I love Ida Reds they are my favourite. Alas the drought has given us no apples this year and to buy them at least in my area is very expensive, I will not be making applesauce this year. I could maybe just drop in on you and taste some of yours:) Hug B
ReplyDeleteyum, My apple trees didn't produce this year but I have pears, again. I hope my husband isn't tired of pear sauce.
ReplyDeleteI love pears! Never had pear sauce, but it sounds delicious!
DeleteI love homemade apple sauce and I don't add sugar either. I have to go pick my apples at a U-Pick.
ReplyDeleteJB
Yum! There's nothing to compare with homemade applesauce. Yours looks luscious!
ReplyDeleteI use whatever I can find, usually a mixture of several differnt varieties. Ida Red and Crispin arent available in my area but I would love to taste them. Apples are my favorite fall fruit.
ReplyDeleteI bought a bushel of Fuji this year and will probably add some Jonagold to them for sauce.
I usually use whatever I can find at the Farmers' Market. We don't have those varieties here either. I love, love, love homemade applesauce! I just wish I had started making it years ago! :)
ReplyDeleteDo you know I haven't made apple sauce since the kids were babies? It is funny you wrote about this because my kids last night at dinner were asking for me to make it again.
ReplyDeleteOur apples aren't ready here yet. I have to go drive up in the mountains and you know I really don't know what kind they are. They make great sauce though. Yours looks so pretty.
OH that looks so good and I love the smell of apple sauce cooking. Makes the whole house smell good.
ReplyDeleteI like to use Northern Spy, Macs, Paula Reds. I don't add any sweetener at all. Once in a while when I open a jar for supper or with breakfast I'll use some cinnamon. That gives it a nice flavor!
I tend to use whatever I can find. It's been a rough couple of years for finding apples around here.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite, hands down, is Macintosh. Alas, there seems to be only one local orchard that grows them, and they only had seven bushels this year (of Macs). We didn't make the cut. I think we're too far south for them to grow well.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite ways to eat applesauce is over peanut butter crackers or granola. It's a great healthy snack.