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Roasted Applesauce




Source of Recipe


Based on a recipe from Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa


Recipe Introduction


I'd never made homemade applesauce before, and since it's apple season here in Michigan, I decided to give it a try. WOW! I had no idea what I was missing by eating purchased applesauce - there is no comparison! Homemade is so fresh, vibrant, and wonderful. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those recipes that saves much money compared to purchased applesauce, but I think the difference is worth it!


List of Ingredients




6 lbs of mixed apples - peeled, cored, sliced (reserve some of the peel in long strips)
1/2 c brown sugar (dark brown is best)
1 c orange juice
1 c apple cider or apple juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 T dark Karo syrup

Recipe



Preheat oven to 400.

Place the prepared apples into a large roaster or dutch oven with a cover.

Toss the apples with the sugar, juices, cinnamon and salt, tossing well to coat everything. Place a handful of the apple peels on top (this is important - it gives the sauce a nice color, but more importantly it provides pectin, which will help thicken the finished sauce).

Cover with the lid and roast at 400 for one hour.

Uncover, remove the peels, and mash the apples with a potato masher. Stir in the dark Karo syrup, then put the roaster back into the oven for 5-10 minutes, UNcovered, to thicken a little more (this will help evaporate some of the liquid and concentrate the flavors).

Allow to cool and package in airtight containers. Store in the fridge. Should keep well for a couple weeks, but it's never lasted that long in our house - it's usually eaten up pretty fast!

Note about the dark Karo syrup: The dark Karo is the perfect finish for the applesauce - it adds sweetness without being just plain sugar, and adds a deeper flavor without being overwhelming like say, molasses, would be. You could sub maple/pancake syrup, but go easy - you don't really want maple flavored applesauce (or maybe you do, to each his own). You could also sub honey with a similar result. Stirring it in after roasting seems to work the best - putting it in at the beginning of cooking, it seems to get lost.