My family was not typical Mennonite in the eating applesauce department until....I discovered the smooth delicious applesauce quickly produced in my trusty Vitamix!
My Grandpa Wagler was the one who introduced our family to the Vitamix many years ago. My sister Rhoda and I used to love throwing a bit of this and a little of that in and seeing what kind of delicious smoothies we could concoct (not one we produced ever tasted like before) A few years ago my parents upgraded and I was the lucky keeper of their old one which happened to be kind of stuck in one speed but hey, beggars can't be choosers and I loved that machine. So quick a way to have freshly ground flax seeds or yummy smoothies which are actually totally smooth! Then for one of my recent birthdays my parents got me one of my very own in my most favorite color ~ red! I have done so many things with it that are pure deliciousness and my kids actually love most all of the things we make. It sure helps to have a huge cookbook that came with it that has recipes in it for anything from juice to ice coffees to alfredo sauce and of course my favorite smoothies. I have had many friends try to save money and buy the cheaper blenders but often come around and buy the real deal saying they wish they had gone there in the first place.
Anyhow back to my applesauce. I was doing some research about the healthiest way to keep whole food the most nutritious and came across many articles stating that freezing was better then canning (I always canned my sauce) and how boiling our food basically boils out the nutrients. I experimented a bit and figured out that simply cutting the apples in half, leaving the skins in tact and removing the seeds and stems worked perfectly for preserving nutrition.
I then take the apples and add just enough water on the bottom of my pan to make sure they don't scorch and have something to produce a little steam but not saturate them with water and cook them till the apples are just hot making sure not to get them to boiling temperature.
Here is where my Vitamix comes in! I simply fill the pitcher with the hot apples, follow the general directions for speed and in less then a minute have a pitcher full of warm yummyness!
I love experimenting with different kinds of apples. This week we were blessed with 3 bushels of Yellow Transparent which are a more tart apple. I added about 3 or 4 cups of raw evaporated cane sugar to my whole big bowl full (I think it is a 32 or 40 cup bowl) and my kidos couldn't stop eating it. I love using Red and Yellow Delicious as I don't have to use any sugar then and we love the smooth sweetness present in the apples themselves. It's also fun to use a combination of different apples. The possibilities are endless!
I have served it many times when we have had guests and they almost always comment on how silky and smooth the consistency is. We are also now keeping up with the Mennonite applesauce trends and filling our tummies with healthful goodness in the process.
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