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| Author |
Message |
| 21 new of 130 responses total. |
mary
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response 110 of 130:
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Oct 10 23:16 UTC 2010 |
I'm right behind you with plans to make up a batch soon. First, I need to
get to Farmers Market for a big bag of mixed seconds and then wait for a
cold day. But I'm aroma envious at this point. ;-)
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keesan
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response 111 of 130:
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Oct 10 23:54 UTC 2010 |
Applesauce does not need much cooking (it is not apple butter).
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denise
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response 112 of 130:
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Oct 11 01:40 UTC 2010 |
I think I had the crockpot on high for too long [over 3 hours], the
applesauce cooked down to a somewhat smaller amount than I remember it
doing in the past. :-(
I haven't been to the Farmer's Market in quite some time, so I've never
tried a mixed bag of apples. Well, I did use up a couple apples my SIL
gave me, I forget what kind they were. The rest of this batch were
Macintosh apples.
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keesan
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response 113 of 130:
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Oct 11 12:55 UTC 2010 |
You made apple butter. 20 minutes or less might have been enough for apple
sauce, at lower temperature. You just need to break down the cell walls.
I assume you cored and peeled them first.
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denise
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response 114 of 130:
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Oct 11 13:25 UTC 2010 |
I did core the apples and then chopped them up without peeling them. It
works out fine without peeling the apples.
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keesan
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response 115 of 130:
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Oct 11 13:49 UTC 2010 |
Next time keep an eye on them and when things turn liquid turn it off.
Stirring every few minutes would help too.
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mary
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response 116 of 130:
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Oct 11 14:34 UTC 2010 |
Your applesauce will thicken after cooling due to the natural pectin in
the apples. Sometimes I peel the apples and sometimes I don't. I always
make it in the crockpot, cooking it for 8 - 10 hours. I'm often reluctant
to turn it off because of the aroma it lends the house. After 8 hours I
get applesauce that's at the soft & chunky stage. How soft and how chunky
is the result of how many granny smiths were in the mix as they stay
intact far longer than any other variety, I've found. If I leave it on
overnight (24 hours total on low) I get applebutter.
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slynne
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response 117 of 130:
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Oct 11 16:38 UTC 2010 |
Do you just throw a bunch of apples in the crock pot or do you add water
too?
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denise
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response 118 of 130:
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Oct 11 17:33 UTC 2010 |
Periodically stirring crockpot applesauce will reduce the overall volume
of applesauce; I found that out the first time I tried this recipe
[where I stirred it every couple hours].
I love that aroma, too, Mary. I wish it would last longer than it does!
Lynne, the recipe is an easy one; the only part that takes time is
chopping up the apples [I don't peel them beforehand]. The only other
ingredients are cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice, and if you have it,
calvados. The actual recipe, iirc, is in resp:1 . I have to adjust my
amounts since my crockpot is only 3 quarts.
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slynne
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response 119 of 130:
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Oct 11 17:49 UTC 2010 |
Thanks denise! Do you know if the sugar is in the recipe for any reason
other than flavor. I am avoiding sugar and would like to make it either
without sugar altogether if I had a sweet variety of apple or with an
artificial sweetener. That is kind of the point for me since I don't
really enjoy cooking. I do like apple sauce though but all the store
bought kinds seem to have a lot of added sugar.
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mary
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response 120 of 130:
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Oct 11 18:18 UTC 2010 |
Answering for Denise, if that's okay. I think the brown sugar yields a
bit of flavor, but only a bit when you think of how many portions this
recipe makes. So, if I were avoiding added sugar I'd not hesitate to
leave it out. If the end product is a little too tart then add your
favorite artificial sweetener to taste. I'd not cook the applesauce with
artificial sweetener as they tend to break down and get bitter with heat.
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keesan
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response 121 of 130:
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Oct 11 19:28 UTC 2010 |
We never add sugar to fruit (other than when we made self-preserving jam).
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slynne
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response 122 of 130:
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Oct 11 20:11 UTC 2010 |
Thanks mary. I haven't yet cooked with artificial sweeteners but have
heard that Splenda can hold up to it. I think I'll try some without the
sugar but with sweet apples and see how it goes :)
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denise
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response 123 of 130:
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Oct 11 20:50 UTC 2010 |
Do let us know how it turns out, Lynne. There's not a lot of sugar in
the recipe but still would be nice if it worked without it.
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slynne
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response 124 of 130:
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Oct 11 21:35 UTC 2010 |
We'll see. I would say that there is about a 50/50 chance that I'll make
it this weekend. I might just decide to eat the apples whole and raw as
I like them that way too and it is easier ;)
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edina
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response 125 of 130:
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Oct 11 22:27 UTC 2010 |
While I'm not making applesauce, I will say that muscavado brown sugar
is pretty awesome and a little goes a long way, so you get more bang
for your sweetening buck...
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mary
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response 126 of 130:
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Oct 11 22:44 UTC 2010 |
One more thing on the applesauce - it freezes beautifully.
I've been playing around with Agave syrup as a substitute for granulated
sugar and honey. It's calorie equivalent but I've heard it falls lower on
the glycemic index. Mostly, I like the flavor, which is closer to that of
maple syrup or molasses. Really like it on swiss-style oatmeal.
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slynne
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response 127 of 130:
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Oct 12 01:17 UTC 2010 |
I just bought some Agave syrup and have found that even though it is
equivalent to sugar in terms of calories, it isn't in terms of
sweetness. I've so far only tried it in my tea but find I can get away
with using about 2/3 as much as I used sugar or honey. I also have heard
that it falls lower on the glycemic index which is why I thought to try
it too.
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keesan
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response 128 of 130:
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Oct 12 01:55 UTC 2010 |
Licorice makes things taste sweet without adding calories. So do artichokes.
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denise
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response 129 of 130:
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Oct 12 14:43 UTC 2013 |
So it's apple season again. My favorite apple these past few years have
been the Honeycrisp apple... It's been a couple years since I've made
the applesauce that Mary posted early in this item but hope to at some
point after I get more settled after my move last week. My crockpot is
fairly small which is just as well since my fridge/freezer is on the
smaller side, too.
So what kinds of things have people been doing these past 2-3 years or
plan on doing this fall?
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keesan
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response 130 of 130:
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Oct 13 22:39 UTC 2013 |
I have been picking up the green/yellow crunchy apples that fall off our
neighbor's tree and drying them. They are tart enough to make excellent dried
apples once you cut out the bruised and buggy spots. Doing the same with our
Seckel pears, and a few plums and peaches. The very ripe pears make pear
sauce, the very green ones cooked pears, and I freeze both. We will have pear
candy for a couple of years from this year's bumper crop.
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