Applesauce is a puree made from apples with or without the skin. The other ingredients are allspice and cinnamon and sometimes lemon juice and lemon peel. Depending on each preference, sweeteners like honey or sugar are also added to it. Peeled or unpeeled apples are cooked with apple cider or juice, or water. The more acidic are the apples, the better and finer the puree is. It can be made with any variety of apple, however, the softer or ripened ones are considered best. Flavors can be enhanced by using a variety of apples.
Uses of Applesauce in Different Regions
Applesauce is extremely easy to digest, and loved by children a lot. The English and the Swedes use it as an ideal accompaniment to main courses like roast pork. The idea of combining applesauce with pork is to offset the richness and fatness of the pork with the sharpness and tartness of the apple. Germans use it with their potato pancakes, and eaten with fries in the Netherlands, used as a dessert in the United States or for making applesauce cake and served as a dessert in France and Portugal. The French call it compote. Applesauce could be sweet or tart depending on which food it is accompanying. The pectin in applesauce acts as a binder and thus it is part of the BRAT diet.
Applesauce Products
In the olden days when storage facilities were not so advanced, making applesauce was one method of saving the apple crop for later use. Applesauce is used in baking cakes and muffins. It is also used to make fruit bars, bread, and cookies. Applesauce sour cream is a great accompaniment to sweet potato latkes or pancakes. It is used as an egg substitute in pumpkin pie.
Varieties of Apples
There are about 7500 varieties of apples. Some of the more popular apple brands are Fiji, Crispin, and Cortland. The Gala is excellent for applesauce while the harder varieties like Rome and Arkansas Black are used for baking and storing. The juicier apples which are crisp and tart like Honeycrisp; they are ideal for eating fresh. The Golden Delicious apples are excellent for apple jams, butter, and applesauce. It is the Rome apples though that is considered a chef’s best friend as it is tart and tangy. The apple cider made from these apples is excellent for psoriasis, diabetes, inflammation, and high cholesterol. Red Delicious apples and York apples are excellent for storing lasting for up to three months after harvesting and even longer if stored in cool and humid conditions.