Slow Cooker Applesauce

Jana here with a recipe that we love to make when Fall has arrived!  We purchased apples from a local orchard, and bought the 'seconds'. This meant that some may have a small spot or two on them, or they were irregular in size or shape. We bought a bushel and a half, and it averaged out to about 50 cents per pound of apples!  I buy natural (no sugar added) applesauce often at the grocery store, so this is a great savings for our family, and something we enjoyed making together!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Apples of choice, peeled, cored, and sliced
water
sugar (if desired)

1. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, prepare the apples as described above, and fill your slow cooker to the top. Add approximately 1/2 cup water to a standard/large slow cooker.  If you would like to add sugar, I would suggest starting with 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup. 

2. Cook the apples on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook for 2-3 hours. A great way to tell when the apples have cooked long enough is when you start seeing 'frothy' looking bubbles at the top. Stir the apples, and make sure they are soft.

3. We ran ours through a foley food mill to remove any peel or seeds that could have been accidentally added. It also achieved great texture for our applesauce!  If you don't own a foley food mill, mash the apples with a potato masher, and stir well. After doing this, if you want a smoother texture for your applesauce, put it in a blender on low speed for a short time.

*We put our applesauce in quart sized Mason jars, and freeze it. Make sure to leave some room at the top of your jar.

Enjoy!