VitaMix & Applesauce

[JeanM]

Have any of you made applesauce for the freezer in your vitamix or blendtec? If so, how did you do it....raw, or cook some first, then blend? Add anything to keep the color fresh?

Thanks so much!

Jean

[Lori French]

Jeez o'peets, nobody????
Jean from what I've read, you still need to cook the apples, on the stovetop, until tender, sugar to taste and lemon juice or ascorbic acid being added to prevent browning, then freeze. I'm sure you could Google for more directions. Not exactly sure what a Vitamix can do for you besides making it smoother, but I'll be curious to see what anyone else says, LOL!

Ah, here are the Vitamix recipes, but neither contain any sweetener or a freezer, LOL!
http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe.cgi/0/439/
http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe.cgi/0/88/

[JeanM]

Lori, the way I make applesauce now is to quarter the apples, no peeling, no coring, put in a big pot and cook til tender, then put through a food mill, then add sugar and lemon juice. I thought maybe with the VM, I could skip the food mill part and just puree everything up together and you wouldn't know the peel was there. Thought maybe I should take the cores out though. Also, the book that came with my VM has a raw applesauce recipe in it but it says to eat it right away, nothing about freezing or storing.

I google everything......don't know why I didn't think to google this. Thanks, Lori, you're a peach.....apple just doesn't fit!!!

Jean
Ooops, didn't see you had added links for recipes! Geez, they peel and core the apples in the first one before they cook them.....not doin' that!!!! I think you could probably freeze either recipe......I'll try and see what happens!

[MommyRose]

Jean, I find those hand held immersion blenders very useful when making things like applesauce. I cook the product until soft then blend with the immersion blender to the desired chunkiness. It'd be easier then transferring hot stuff to the blender. I can't remeber if i left the peels on. I also have one of the apple peeler/corers and those are fabulous to have if you want the peels off.

[JeanM]

Thanks so much, Rose. I was definitely planning on letting the sauce cool down before transferring to blender! Don't want hot sauce flying up and hitting me in the face! I was also trying to get out of peeling the apples so not sure an immersion blender would do the job there, but I've never used one so maybe it would.

Thanks so much!

Jean

[mamashortcake]

Well I make it in my food processor (though I do have a blend tec). I just core the apple and throw it in, add a little water if needed and turn it on. We usually add a little cinnamon. I don't worry if it turns color. We eat it pretty fast anyway . I have stored it in the fridge a few days, but wouldn't do it longer. I think your could freeze it fine. I have no idea about canning it - you probably need to cook it then. And yes PLEASE do cool it if you cook it. I have put hot lentil soup in my blend tec to puree it, and it WILL spray out!!

[JeanM]

Thanks, mamashortcake! Not planning on canning it, too much trouble! We love it from the freezer so that's what I'll do. I make biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggg batches!!!! I may make some small ones sometimes though like yours just to see what we think. Thanks so much for your input.

Jean

[Ollie]

Thanks for starting this thread. My family loves when I make applesauce. I peel and core, quarter them, add a little fresh apple cider from a local farm (instead of water). Once tender and chunky, taste test, add cinnamon, then sugar if needed.

I would be curious to see if anyone just throws in the whole apple, since the seeds are supposed to be good for you. I remember a doctor on a TV daytime talkshow (many moons ago!) saying that the only thing he wanted people to throw away when they were finished eating apples, was the stem. I've never used the Vitamix. But, at least leaving the skin would add so many health benefits to the applesauce. If anyone does this, please let us know the results!

[VioletSky]

I make applesauce by cutting the apples in eighths and cutting the core bit out. Then I heat the apples very slowly in a heavy, covered stainless steel pain stirring frequently until they get very mushy. Then I mash them with a fork. I'm sure various appliances would make the mixture smoother. The red skins give the applesauce a pretty pink color and boost the nutritional value. I got the idea to do this with the apples in my refrigerator that were past their prime when I found out that my local organic market sells its old apples to an applesauce manufacturer. I put in the sauce in jars and keep in the refrigerator up to a couple of weeks.

Vi

[schoonma]

Hi Ladies,

I have used my Vita Mix to make applesauce - I just threw in the whole apple and added some water and cinnamon, it was DELICIOUS...seriously the best I ever had.

Mary Ann