# Can I leave the peels on?



## mesa123 (Jan 15, 2009)

Does anyone leave the peels on their apples when making applesauce? 

My normal applesauce method is to core, peel and slice the apples, heat them in a saucepan with a little liquid and then put them through my food grinder on the kitchen aid. Then back in the saucepan to boil, pack and process. But peeling the apples just takes so much time for me! 

Unfortunately, I do not have a food mill that will sift out the peels and seeds.

I really want to make applesauce with the peels, but so far I've been afraid to experiment...


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## crispin (Jun 30, 2010)

i make my sauce with the peals on. After cooking down I pull out the larger pieces of peels and that is it. My sauce tastes great.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Nice short cut thanks


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

The canning safety issues aside, I honestly can't imagine eating applesauce with the peels left in. Eating a fresh apple, sure. But canned and sitting on the shelf for possibly months before eating it? No, sorry. Is there supposedly some nutrient benefit or is it just a convenience issue?


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## mesa123 (Jan 15, 2009)

judylou said:


> The canning safety issues aside,


Is there a canning safety issue? I use a water bath canner.


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

I peel the apples. I do have a corer but I like using a regular knife. 
Then I quarter them and remove the seeds, etc. Slice them. 
Then a little bit of water in bottom of pan, and slow cook. Keep an eye on it. 
Stir ever so often.
When soft, I can mash them up with a potato masher. 
I have never left the peels on. Not sure why you would want to. 

Experiment with one pint in the rest of the batch. Let us know if it works out for you.


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## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

If you quarter and core your apples, as you boil the apples you can then pick out the peels with a pair of tongs.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

I like the peels left in. They are added texture and fiber, and if the apples are certain varieties, you can wind up with lovely pink applesauce instead of mealy runny yellow stuff. 

If big peels bother you, just cut them a little smaller.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> Is there a canning safety issue? I use a water bath canner.


It isn't the processing, it is the bacterial count. The peels are the primary source of bacteria, molds and other contaminants. Studies show that peeling fruits and vegetables prior to canning and processing them reduces the bacterial count in the finished jars after processing by as much as 60%. With low acid foods, peeling can be vital. With high acid foods like applesauce it is less so but why can bacteria and molds in with your food?

Your choice.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

We occasionally eat applesauce w/some peels in, "chunky", but don't process any. I prefer to peel, core, then cook. I used to use a food mill for apples quartered and cooked soft, but the sauce seemed gritty. And I use some drops & wasp-stung apples (with small amounts of damage, and seriously trimmed) for sauce to eat or freeze, too, so another reason to peel.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Got a question, I read many times about people saving the peals and cores to make jelly -wouldn't that be concentrating the "bad" stuff by doing that? Or does the boiling process in making the jelly take care of that.

I leave the peals on when I make apple sauce, but I simmer them in my roasting pan for about two hours, then run them through my KA mill and that removes most of the peal. I don't recall if I cored them or not, but I do remove the stem/blossom end.

I also wash my apples good before I cook them, and they are off my own tree so I know what has been put on them too.


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## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I just put up a bushel of apples - all in applesauce. I peeled and cored all my apples first. I put all the peels and cores in a pot, covered with water, bring to a boil, turn off and let sit overnight, in the morning simmer for 20 minutes and then strain.

I then add sugar and boil down to make apple syrup (1/2 cup sugar for each cup of apple "juice"). But I'm sure you could easily use the juice to make apple jelly.

I did the same with my peach peels and my pear peels. I was even joking with hubby that I was going to make tomato syrup - would love to find something to do with tomato peels.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

I leave the peels on my apples and cook til soft. I whirl them up in my Vita Mix and the peels just blend into the sauce and you can't even tell they are there. It saves me a TON of time and adds some extra color and flavor to the sauce. I pressure can my sauce because the pressure canner is what I have. Had never had a problem. I usually add sugar before canning but have also done it without sugar.


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## Granny Sue (Jan 12, 2009)

I quarter my apples, and cook them--cores, peel and all--then put through the Squeezo. The sauce is beautiful and it took only 2 hours to process a bushel of apples last night, from apple to completing the water bath canning. I've been canning like this for 35+ years with no problems at all. There is good nutrition and fiber in apple peels and if your apples are washed there should be little concern with molds and bacteria. Of course, it might depend on the source of your apples too. Mine are straight from my tree, no sprays.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

ladytoysdream said:


> I peel the apples. I do have a corer but I like using a regular knife.
> Then I quarter them and remove the seeds, etc. Slice them.
> Then a little bit of water in bottom of pan, and slow cook. Keep an eye on it.
> Stir ever so often.
> ...


This is what I have done for years. Works!


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

mesa123 said:


> Unfortunately, I do not have a food mill that will sift out the peels and seeds.
> 
> ...


I say go buy a food mill! They are not that expensive, and you can probably find a good one on eBay. That way, you don't have to peel your apples before cooking them up for making applesauce, and the food mill takes out your seeds and peels. Then heat up and can your applesauce according to the instructions in the Ball Blue Book and enjoy!


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## Kshobbit (May 14, 2002)

I agree with upnorthlady, buy a food mill and save yourself lots of time. If you have lots of apples like I do, you will really need one sooner or later. Sometimes you can get used ones pretty cheap. I bought a stainless steel cone food mill on a stand that replaces my old aluminum one when the stand finally broke. Have fun.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

You can cook down the apples in the oven at 350 for about an hour - no stirring needed unless you feel absolutely compelled!


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## Gladrags (Jul 13, 2010)

Granny Sue said:


> I quarter my apples, and cook them--cores, peel and all--then put through the Squeezo.


I do the same, except with a food mill. The applesauce gets a nice rosy hue from the peels, and the flavor is more concentrated.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I use my electric roasting pan for cooking up the apples. I can fit 30 -40 apples in at one time (qtred) I set it around 250-275 and leave it for 2-3 hours. I usually check on it once or twice and stir the apples so the less cooked ones get down to the bottom.

I should go get another batch cut up and in the roaster. I think the storm is past here now. I have the apples and roaster out in the summer kitchen - so I have to occasionally run OUTside to check on what I have cooking.

Cathy


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## flowergurl (Feb 27, 2007)

I use one of these, and they don't cost much. I got mine at Atwoods.

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Apple-Potato-Peeler/dp/B0000DE2SS


Little bits of peeling get left here and there but nothing major. I think of it as extra fiber. It also worked great to peel and core pears, when I did pear sauce.


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## mesa123 (Jan 15, 2009)

Okay...I'm confused...this is the grinder I use to mash the apples (and tomatoes)...

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FG...3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1285185835&sr=1-3

I've also got the fruit/veggie strainer pictured on the right in the pic below...it fits inside the food grinder.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-FV...1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285185835&sr=1-1-fkmr3

Am I to understand that people use the fruit/veggie strainer for sifting out peels and seeds? I used it once in a futile attempt to make tomato juice and was really frustrated by it. It made a huge mess and I got about four drops of sauce from each tomato. I didn't think it would work at all for apples..


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