I had to think of my mother-in-law while making applesauce today. Her bountiful garden, like most old gardens in the German countryside, had among others, a few White Tranparent apple trees that bore tons of fruits.
This apple variety ripens early in summer, and the season is usually over by mid July making those fruits unsuitable to store for winter months. That means a lot of work around that period for garden owners, mostly for the ladies of the house.
My mother-in-law cooked applesauce in large quantities and preserved it in preserving jars in her cool cellar. She used to serve some to her homemade Croquettes (one of many potato creations in the German cuisine) or to a noodle and ham dish (a humble and easy dish to prepare). The mix of flavours intrigued me at the beginning, as I couldn’t imagine how savoury potatoes, ham noodles and the more tart than sweet applesauce would pair together. Amazing it was!
Schupfnudeln (German-Bavarian Potato Croquettes) served with apple sauce for lunch
White Transparent apples coming straight from the tree are crisp with a tart flavour and a pale greenish yellow colour, and have a sharp and refreshing taste. They are clearly perfect for apple pies and cakes. Having plenty of apples to consume in a short period of time, my mother-in-law, like my friend yesterday, was very happy to share buckets full of apples with her neighbours and friends.
Here I was today busy with only one bucket of those crispy, juicy and spotless White Transparent apples. I was making two jars and a small bowl that was devoured in no time. Pure deliciousness!
Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg apples peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
- 125 ml warm water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Add the water, lemon juice and sugar to a medium pot. Cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring all the time to dissolve the sugar. Add the apples, cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the apples are soft (about 15 minutes). Uncover and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a masher to purée the apples into a soft mousse.
- Pour into a sterilised preserving jar and close tightly, or transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving.
Dina, when we were in college, Paul was very sick with the flu and a high temp.
I made him homemade applesauce. He took a few spoonfuls and then said, “ Will you make me applesauce for the rest of my life?” 😱
I told him he was delirious😂😂
Six weeks later I received a “proper” proposal. That was May 1973. Here we are many years later, still enjoying applesauce !
Looking forward to meeting you this autumn!
Barbara
What a lovely story! And confirms the German saying: “Liebe geht durch den Magen” Looking forward to meeting you, too!
😋
Sahtein!
Love this recipe. It makes the apple sauce so fresh tasting. The recipes I have found in the US are always way too sweet and this is perfect for my grandchildren to enjoy. My trip to the farmers market yielded some very interesting apples for apple sauce making: macoun and cortland apples.
Hi Jane, recipes in the US tend to be much sweeter than in Germany. I love apple sauce, it reminds me so much of babies and young children 🙂 Enjoy your grandchildren and spoil them as much as you can!