Country Kitchen:
Applesauce and Butter Time
By Mary Emma Allen
Apple season is upon us, that time of year when my grandchildren enjoy
making applesauce from the freshly picked fruit. We eat it as a side dish
with our meals, stirred into desserts, and freeze for winter use.
My grandchildren, as well as the rest of my family, like applesauce "made
from scratch". Following my mother-in-law's recipe, we cut the apples
into quarters, leaving skin and seeds, and slowly cook in small amount of
water.
Then we strain the apples through a puree mill or sieve, one I've had
since my early years of marriage, more than 40 years ago.
Mother's Applesauce
My mother, as did her mother, always peeled, cored, and quartered the
apples before cooking them for applesauce. She placed a small amount of
water in the pan and simmered the fruit on the wood stove, stirring
frequently so it wouldn't stick.
She cooked the applesauce until the water was nearly gone and the apples
tender. Then she mashed them with the potato masher until smooth.
Usually she added the sugar and spices after cooking. Some cooks do this
while they're simmering the apples.
Mark Twain's Favorite Pie
It's said that Mark Twain's favorite pie had an applesauce or apple
"mush" filling. This was simply applesauce poured into a 9-inch pastry
lined pie plate. You cover this with a thin pastry crust. Slash in
several places and seal the edges. You also can use a lattice crust.
Bake at 450 degrees F. for 20 minutes; then reduce the heat to 375
degrees F. and bake until crust is browned, about 25 minutes more. You
can serve this warm or cooled, with whipped cream, whipped topping, or
ice cream.
Applesauce Spread
I often like to spread homemade applesauce on freshly baked bread or
biscuits for a tasty snack or even dessert. It's also good on a toasted
bagel spread first with cream cheese, then topped with applesauce.
Another way is spreading toast (whole wheat or white bread) with peanut
butter and then applesauce.
I've used applesauce to top pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Some
people like to pour maple syrup over this, but I prefer simply the
applesauce, possibly with a dab of whipped topping.
Apple Butter Time
A variation of applesauce is apple butter, a Pennsylvania Dutch favorite
made by boiling down apples until thick, then adding spices. Often apple
butter time was associated with apple gathering festivities when
neighbors got together for a social occasion.
The women peeled and quartered the apples, then cooked them throughout
the day in boiling cider in a large kettle over an out-of-doors fire.
This was stirred frequently to prevent the butter from sticking to the
kettle. Or a family might make apple butter in their own back yard on an
autumn day.
The Pennsylvania Dutch often celebrated a Thanksgiving Day in September
and served apple butter as a traditional accompaniment. Another way they
people ate the apple butter was with cottage cheese spread on sliced
homemade bread.
Enjoy applesauce and apple butter in autumn and create some family
recipes of your own.
(C) 2003 Mary Emma Allen
Click here for an easy apple butter recipe
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers
and online publications for 30 years and
has compiled a family cookbook. She’s currently compiling a
cookbook/story book,
"Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
