This delicious no-cook, homemade applesauce is an easy and healthy way to use up excess apples and have on hand a delicious dessert that also can be a tasty ingredient in so many other recipes!
The true secret to this is good old fashioned fermentation! Once you pulse the apples in a blender and then mix in the ingredients, you simply set on the counter a few days and let nature do the work. The results are an all natural sweetened probiotic that will disappear quickly once the family figures out how good this is.
TIP: don’t be intimidated by the ingredient ‘whey’. It’s a natural bi product of cheese and yogurt and you can simply buy a small container of plain, whole milk yogurt and strain out a tablespoon of the liquid sitting on top, which is the ‘whey’. If you need a non-dairy option, Water kefir can also be used for this fermented applesauce.
BIG shout out to one of our favorite healthy-cooking budget minded home chef’s Annemarie over at Real Food Real Deal. Her delicious but healthy recipes are crafted with cost effective ingredients and methods and a perfect food site for those with dietary challenges! The source of this recipe inspiration and the blender photos!
Homemade No-Cook Applesauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs apples
1 tbs whey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs pure maple syrup
Directions:
Clean, peel, core, and chop the apples.
Place apples in a food processor or blender. Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until you have a smooth, evenly seasoned applesauce.
Taste for seasoning, but remember it won’t be as sweet as store bought.
Pour sauce into 3 half-pint canning jars, leaving an inch of headspace in each jar. VERY IMPORTANT to leave headspace because the fermentation process can cause pressure inside the jar. You don’t want to have to clean up broken glass and applesauce!
Leave the jars on the counter for one to three days, out of direct sun or near direct heat..
Taste daily, and transfer to the refrigerator once the applesauce is tangy. Refrigerate on the third day because f you leave at room temperature for too long, it will turn to alcohol.
Keep for one month in refrigerator.
For some delicious ideas on ways to use your homemade applesauce in other recipes check out this page from Country Living on 13 Mouthwatering Applesauce Use Recipes. Especially this recipe from Chef in Training and her Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting !! (pic is her’s)