Homemade applesauce – jam is delicious and easy to make. You can enjoy it as a simple snack, in desserts or in savory dishes.
A few years ago when I was going to make a savory recipe I noticed that one of the ingredients required was apple sauce.
I’ve never seen apple sauce sold in Greece so after a google search and reading a few recipes, I realized that apple sauce is similar to what we call Apple Jam.
I have made many kinds of jams in my life and years ago I used to make apple turnovers with puréed apples, so I had no problem making it my way.
Here are a few ideas to use this sauce / jam: Chocolate Tart with Apple Jam, Apple turnovers, Apple Strudel, Veal Stroganoff, etc.
The first time I made it, I used whatever apples I had at home, I had some golden and red delicious apples.
If I had some granny smith apples, I would definitely prefer them, as I love them in apple pies. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use whatever apples you have or like best.
I love using fragrant geranium leaves to flavour jams or spoon sweets but if you don’t have any it’s not absolutely necessary.
When making it again with granny smith apples, I thinly peeled a whole lemon (other times I used the zest of a lemon) and boiled it with the sauce together with a cinnamon stick.
How to make the Sauce / Jam
Put the water and lemon juice (reserving 1 tbsp) in a bowl.
Peel and core the apples and cut them into small pieces. Put them immediately in the water so that they will not oxidize.
Put them in a pot and add the sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, fragrant geranium and honey.
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring for about 20 – 30 minutes until the apples are soft.
Remove the cinnamon stick (you can leave the geraniums and lemon peel if you like), and using an immersion blender purée the apples.
I love the flavour of lemon and geraniums, which adds an amazing taste to the sauce / jam.
Put it back on the heat, add the last tablespoon of lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.Set aside to cool and store in clear sterilized jars.
This is a very old recipe and of course in the meantime we now have an apple tree in our garden, which produced a lot of apples this year.
Easy Homemade Applesauce
There is nothing better than homemade applesauce which is delicious and easy to make which you can enjoy as a simple snack, in desserts or in savory dishes.
Ingredients
First recipe:
- 1 kilo (5) golden delicious apples
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1/3 cup Greek honey
- 2 cups water
- The peel from one lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
- 2 – 3 fragrant geranium leaves
Second recipe
- 1 kilo (about 5) Granny Smith apples
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 fragrant geranium leaves
- 1 cup crystal sugar
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Put the water and lemon juice (reserving 1 tbsp) in a bowl.
- Peel and core the apples and cut them into small pieces. Put them immediately in the water so that they will not oxidize.
- Put them in a pot and add the sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, fragrant geranium and honey.
- Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring for about 20 – 30 minutes until the apples are soft.
- Remove the cinnamon stick (you can leave the geraniums if you like), and using an immersion blender purée the apples.
- Put it back on the heat, add the last tablespoon of lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool and store in clear sterilized jars.
Notes
Some apples contain more pectin than others especially if they are green and under ripe.
If your apples are over ripe, in order to make a thick jam you may need to add 1 sachet (25 grams) of Gelfix (which contains pectin).
*When I made the jam/sauce the second time with granny smith apples, although I added more water, they set perfectly without the need to add any Gelfix.
Nutrition Information
Yield 3 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 545Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 15mgCarbohydrates 143gFiber 3gSugar 138gProtein 1g
Jams and Marmalades
Some more homemade jams and marmalades
Marmelada Kydoni (Quince Jam)
Quince jam is so delicious that apart from spreading it on toasted bread, you can also use it to top creamy desserts but also used in other recipes.
Bergamot Marmalade from Leftovers
Bergamot marmalade is the best of all citrus marmalades. It is precious as it has the most aromatic flavour that you can ever imagine. In this recipe it is made with the leftover fruit mixed with some bergamot peel.
Mandarin (Tangerine) Marmalade
Mandarin Marmalade is one of the most delicious and aromatic citrus marmalades. It's delicious on toasted bread for breakfast or to use in other desserts.
Glyko Sykalaki kai Marmelada Syko (Fig Spoon Sweet and Fig Jams)
Figs made into a fruit preserve and jam.
Mulberry Lavender Jam with Honey
Mulberry Lavender Jam with Honey is not only a very healthy combination of ingredients, which marry perfectly together but also one of the most aromatic and delicious jams I have ever made.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
