Caramelized Apple Sauce

Small Batch Stovetop Caramelized Applesauce 

Ingredients:
3-4 apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp lemon juice 
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
3 Tbs local honey
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan and stir. Heat over low heat and cover, cooking for 1 hour. Stir occasionally, making sure that no apples are sticking to the bottom. After an hour, the apples should be dark brown in color and soft, broken down. Add the mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to one week or water-bath can. Recipe makes approx 1 pint (you can double, triple this recipe easily to suit your needs.)  


Water-bath can: 1/2" head-space,  and process pints 15 mins. in a boiling water bath canner. (adding time for your altitude or local canning regs) 

Recipe and Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home



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If you want a LARGE BATCH - use spices I used above to your liking: this is directly from the NCHFP: 


Quantity: An average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 13½ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 14 to 19 quarts of sauce – an average of 3 pounds per quart.

Quality: Select apples that are sweet, juicy and crisp. For a tart flavor, add 1 to 2 pounds of tart apples to each 3 pounds of sweeter fruit.

Procedure: Wash, peel, and core apples. If desired, slice apples into water containing ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Placed drained slices in an 8- to 10-quart pot. Add ½ cup water. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning, heat quickly until tender (5 to 20 minutes, depending on maturity and variety). Press through a sieve or food mill, or skip the pressing step if you prefer chunk-style sauce. Sauce may be packed without sugar. If desired, add 1/8 cup sugar per quart of sauce. Taste and add more, if preferred. Reheat sauce to boiling. Fill jars with hot sauce, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

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