Homemade apple sauce is so much tastier than shop bought and really easy to make. My Easy Peasy Apple Sauce needs just two ingredients – apples and water – and takes just 15 minutes. The perfect accompaniment to roast pork.
A old family recipe…
Apple sauce with roast pork is a British institution! The tartness of the apple sauce – traditionally made with Bramley or ‘cooking’ apples, is the perfect contrast to the richness of roast pork.
This simple, but delicious, recipe has been passed down through the female side of my family. My maternal grandmother’s family had a market garden in Spencers Wood, near Reading and they had orchards there too. I am sure apple sauce must taste particularly good if the apples are from your own orchards!
My grandmother passed this recipe onto my mother and she passed it on to me. It’s such a simple recipe that it was often my job to make it for our Sunday lunch as a kid. (Sunday lunches were usually a team effort in our house growing up – with us all doing our bit. My ‘bits’ were usually the sauces and the vegetables).
Easy Peasy Apple Sauce
This recipe is so easy, it’s barely a recipe. Once you realise just how easy it is, you’ll never ever bother to buy apple sauce again! Better still it’s much tastier and healthier than shop-bought apple sauce 😀
All you need to do is peel and chop an apple, place it in a pan with a little water and cook until the apple falls apart and becomes a sauce – it’s that simple!
What’s the best type of apple for apple sauce?
The best type of apples for apple sauce are Bramley apples. Often known as ‘cooking apples’, Bramley apples will produce a sharp and tangy apple sauce – the perfect complement to the richness of roast pork.
However, in all honesty, this method will work with any kind of apple. So, if your preference is for something sweeter, you could use a dessert apple, such as Gala, instead.
Should you add sugar to apple sauce?
Personally, I am not a fan of adding sugar to apple sauce. I don’t especially like adding sugar to anything if I can help it and I like to let the natural flavour and tartness of the Bramley apples shine.
But if you have a sweet tooth and find the flavour of a Bramley apple too ‘tart’ for your tastes, you can go one of two ways – either use a sweeter ‘dessert’ apple (see above), or stick with the traditional Bramley apple but add a little sugar to taste.
If you are going to add sugar to apple sauce, do it at the start of cooking so that it has plenty of time to dissolve during cooking.
What does apple sauce go with?
Like most British families, we make apple sauce primarily to go with roast pork, but it also goes very well with game birds such as duck and goose.
You can also obviously serve apple sauce with pork prepared in different ways – for example simple pan-fried pork chops or pork kebabs. And it is also delicious with sausages.
But apple sauce is not just for savoury dishes! I love apple sauce stirred into yogurt – which makes a lovely healthy breakfast or dessert. You can also swirl it into porridge (especially nice with a sprinkle of cinnamon) or serve it on top of pancakes.
How long does apple sauce keep in the fridge for?
Apple sauce will happily keep in the fridge for a week, so long as it’s in an airtight container – such as a plastic pot with a lid or an old jam jar with the lid screwed on.
You can either eat it cold, or gently reheat in a saucepan or microwave.
Can you freeze apple sauce?
Yes, you can. Apple sauce freezes brilliantly! Simply put it in a plastic lidded container and put place it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Alternatively, you could freeze the apple sauce in an ice cube tray and then, once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or plastic lidded container. This means you can defrost much smaller portions. (I used to do this all the time when I was weaning my babies!)
Simply defrost apple sauce overnight in the fridge, or in a couple of hours at room temperature, then serve cold or reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Peasy Apple Sauce
Instructions
- Peel and core the apple. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the chopped apple and water in a small saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the apple breaks down into a puree.
- Stir to break down any remaining lumps, then transfer to a serving dish.
Video
Notes
- Bramley apples work best, but you can use any apples you like to make apple sauce.
- This apple sauce is unsweetened and therefore quite tart and tangy. If you prefer a sweeter apple sauce, either use a dessert apple, such as Gala, or add sugar to taste. Add sugar at the beginning of cooking to give time for the sugar to dissolve.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Linkies
I am linking this up to Cook Blog Share.
Rebecca - Glutarama says
I love the fact you use Bramley’s in this recipe and resist the thought to sweeten. When accompanying a roast joint its lovely to have that twang or bitterness, this would make an excellent apple turnover filling too. Thank you for linking up with #CookBlogShare over on Glutarama this week.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Rebecca – and I totally agree I love that sharp ‘twang’ to balance out the richness of roast pork. Love the idea of using this in apple turnovers too 😀 Eb x
Choclette says
I absolutely ought to try making apple sauce without sugar. I tend to use quite tart apples when they’re in season and then make a huge batch which I keep in the fridge for three or four months. I love it on porridge in the winter. Not sure it would keep so long without the sugar, but I’d like to give it a go.
Eb Gargano says
Oh you should! You might be pleasantly surprised… though I agree, it almost certainly won’t last as long without the sugar in the fridge – but it keeps for ages in the freezer! And yes – perfect on porridge 😀 Eb x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
Never realised how easy this was to make!!
Eb Gargano says
I know – crazy, huh? I don’t think you are alone, either! Eb 🙂
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
I’ve not tried making my own apple sauce before but I do love it with pork. I’ll have to get my hands on some apples and give it a go!
Eb Gargano says
Oh you definitely need to try it. Homemade is so much nicer than store-bought! Eb 🙂
Patricia Jones says
Am also reads your all recipes and this is one of my favorite and it looks too good & sound too delicious as well….i will trying to making it…Thanks for sharing….!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely feedback, Patricia! Delighted you like it so much! Eb 🙂