How to Make Homemade Applesauce

This is a great activity to do when you've recently gone apple picking and picked way more apples than your family will actually eat before they go to mush. It's actually pretty simple to do, which is a nice plus. No, it's not as simple as picking up a jar at the grocery store, but pretty easy nonetheless.

First, you'll need a recipe. We used this one. Then you'll need to gather your ingredients. For us, those were apples, cinnamon, and some insanely expensive organic sugar (it was all they had) from the store up the street.



Next, gather your helpers. If you are as blessed as I am, you will have a ready supply of small boys who love the opportunity to play with, I mean responsibly use knives.


I strongly recommend that Mom cores the apples and does the peeling, since those require much sharper knives. Unless, of course, you're in the mood for a field trip. Emergency rooms can be fascinating places. Don't ask me how I know.


Have your helpers chop the apples into bits. It turns out that randomly-sized bits work just fine.







A big bowl of apple bits.


Next, your helpers need to transfer the apple bits to a pot. Oh, this is a good time to remind you that you should have had them wash their hands before starting this activity. If you forget, you, like me, can just hope that the boiling process will be sufficient to kill anything they may have gotten into.


Add your other ingredients...in our recipe, those were sugar...


And cinnamon...


...and water. If you triple the recipe like we did, this is also a great time to throw in a lesson on adding fractions, for added homeschool math credit. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 20 minutes, unless you added too much water. Then boil 'til the excess water evaporates and the applesauce splatters all over your stove top.


Mash with a potato masher...


And serve to grumpy two-year-olds who have just awakened from their naps.


Two of the boys (Jordan and Joshua) did not care for it and had pretzel sticks instead. They thought it was too sweet. (But they'll eat pounds of candy if you let them...go figure.)


Jonathan, Joseph, and Mommy thought it was yummy and ate the whole pot!


Believe it or not, we still have too many apples left. What should we try to make next?