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| North Carolina Pink Lady Apple |
During apple season here in North Carolina, I make an effort to indulge in as many fresh, local apples as I can get my hands on.
One of our current favorite apples is the Pink Lady. Sooo sweet! Nice and crisp, extra good right out of the refrigerator. We rarely have enough apples left over to make apple sauce but tonight I was making (trying to make…) potato zucchini latkes and I had to have fresh apple sauce to serve with it. I usually make my apple sauce on the stove in a large heavy-bottomed pan but today I needed to concentrate on my latke making – hot oil and small children don’t mix – so I thought I would test out apple sauce in a slow cooker. It was a complete success and, truthfully, way easier than letting it simmer on the stove. I cooked it on high and it took less than three hours to be absolutely perfect. I might never make applesauce on the stove again!
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| Rory … apple peeler extraordinaire |
As many people know, I am a total sucker for gadgets. However, this gadget in the photos is old-school and totally practical. No batteries required. My friend gave this to me last Christmas after I openly coveted hers… if you have a lot of apple eaters in your house, this might come in handy for you, as well.
If you have $20 burning a hole in your pocket, look for one of these apple multi-taskers that simply suctions to your countertop and allows you to make super quick work of apples – peel, core, slice – presto.
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| Still going… |
Directions for Slow Cooker Applesauce …
Peel and slice 10 to 12 apples and toss them into your slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup of apple cider. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 to 7 hours.
Could it be any easier???
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| Toss peeled and sliced apples into your slow cooker … Add cider. |
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| Cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. |
Notes … Don’t worry about putting in too many apples. The apples reduce down to about half as they cook so, if you can, fill your crockpot with as many apples as you have on hand. If you like cinnamon apple sauce, add in a couple of cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon to the apples as they cook down. We kept ours pretty simple tonight but my children are big fans of cinnamon apple sauce when I make it for them.
The fabulous gadget… If you want to check out this “Peel Away Apple Peeler” click on this link below for Sur La Table. You can find this handy peeler all over the place – Bed, Bath, and Beyond is also a good bet for a slightly better price.
I have embarrassingly never made apple sauce, for some reason it’s really intimidating to me! I am in love with that apple gadget though, so maybe this will be the year I tackle my apple sauce phobia! You make it look super easy, love it!
Thanks, Petra! It IS so easy… You must try it. And this apple peeler is so handy – I use it all the time. – Erin