Sidewalk Shoes

A blog about food, and a little about reading, and some sewing, and I might even knit something.

Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce for Picnic Week!

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No sugar is needed when you make this wonderful Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce!  Post may contain affiliate links. 

 

Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce

Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce

 

I sincerely hope that you have been following the Novel Bakers and their picnic week!  Don’t judge the event by my posts, please go visit them and see how it is supposed to be done!  When I first signed up for picnic week, it was going to be held during my slow season, but it was moved to now – my busiest time as a photographer – and I’m afraid I didn’t do it the justice that it deserved.  I had such ideas!  But oh well, today I bring you some homemade applesauce that would be welcome at any picnic!

When I get apples from my CSA, they aren’t as pretty as the ones you get in the grocery store.  They aren’t shiny and waxed and they might have a worm or two!  But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them.  As a matter of fact, I enjoy them more, because that’s how apples are supposed to look!  They aren’t supposed to look like picture perfect specimens, they are supposed to look like real fruit, picked off of real trees, and filled with real bumps and bruises and little insect friends.  They are absolutely perfect for making homemade applesauce.  Applesauce that you feel good about eating!  Spooned into individual jars, these are perfect to take on your picnic with you for picnic week!

Click here to pin this Slow Cooker Applesauce now! 

Apples plus kitty cat | Sidewalk Shoes

Even Coco admires these lovely, real apples.  I’ve made this applesauce before.  There is hardly  even a recipe.  I don’t add any added sugar or cinnamon, though you could if you desired.  Last time I made the applesauce, I peeled all the apples before dicing and putting in the slow cooker.  This time I left the peels on and just immersion blended it all.  There were a few little bits of peel, but it didn’t bother us any and not having to peel was great!

Slow Cooker Applesauce | Sidewalk Shoes

Once you find out how easy it is, I bet you will make this every fall like I do!  All you do is dice up your apples, place in a slow cooker with a little lemon juice (I used a tablespoon), and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until apples are tender.  You can then process through a food mill to remove the peels (if you didn’t peel them first).  If you want it chunky, just kind of mash it up a bit, if you want it smoother, use an immersion blender to get it to the smoothness you want!  That’s all there is too it!  You could change it up a bit by adding some brown sugar or cinnamon sticks at the beginning, or make a combination with half apples/half pears.  The possibilities are endless!  I also used these type of apples in my Apple Pie Sundae!

Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce | Sidewalk Shoes

I store it in cute little jars in the freezer.  It’s easy to take one out and pop it into your lunch bag.  By lunchtime, it is usually thawed, but I even like it partially frozen.  It would be perfect to take on a picnic, it will act almost like an ice pack if tossed into a cooler bag with other things you want to keep cool!

Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce | Sidewalk Shoes
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Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce

This Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce is so easy and so good, you'll never buy it from the store again! 

Course Side Dish
Servings 8
Calories 65 kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 cups apples diced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Place apples and lemon juice in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 


  2. If you don't want the peel, process the apples through a food meal, otherwise mash with a potato masher or use an immersion blender if you want it smoother. 

  3. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or it also freezes well. 

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Slow Cooker Applesauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 65
% Daily Value*
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 133mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 13g
Vitamin A 1.4%
Vitamin C 7.8%
Calcium 0.8%
Iron 0.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Comments

  1. Love applesauce made in the slow cooker, Pam! I’ve always peeled my apples though and love the idea of not having to do that! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us at the Heath and Soul Link party.

    Reply

  14. G’Day!! : ) Thank you for sharing this easy recipe! I imagine that the house smells great while the apples are cooking. My daughters and I are making this tomorrow ~ Have a great sunday.

    Reply

  16. G’day! Great recipe for making applesauce and thanks for sharing at our #SayGdayParty! Pinned!
    I hope you stop back if you haven’t already and visit other people at the party!
    I hope you answer a question or two for me! 🙂
    Cheers! Joanne

    Reply

  18. I love applesauce from my own apples, which, like your CSA apples, are not picture pretty. But they have amazing flavor, as you said! Good for you, figuring out how to use the slow cooker for applesauce. And, in case you haven’t tried it yet, when you leave the skins on red apples, your applesauce will be a beautiful shade of pink!

    Reply

  22. Hi Pam, I’m missing my apple trees at this time of year (they were blown down in the last hurricane!) but the farm stands will soon be full of apples. I think I will experiment with making applesauce with several varieties this year and see what we like best. Your slow cooker method is so much easier than watching the stove for hours! I have enjoyed your picnic week posts very much. Linda

    Reply

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One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

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