# Making Applesauce- Skins and Seeds ?



## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

So here I am again with a new question. 
I made 10 or so quarts of applesauce from free apples. And I know I will continue to have free apples for years come. So I would like to make the processing more efficient. 
I washed the apples, kept the skins on, cut out seeds and cores, chopped them smaller and tossed in the pot with water to cook. As it got softer, I used am immersion blender to smash it all better and chunk the skins a tad more.

My question- I see some recipes you can keep the seeds and core in there, and a thingy can process them down. This is safe? And if it is, what can I buy that does that? Cutting apart tiny little freebie apples is very time consuming! Not to count dangerous lol. 
Oh, but I want something that lets me keep the peel, not separates it out, just to add. 
Towards the bottom of this woman's thread, she posts an applesauve recipe, and uses a food strainer... I don't know much on those/never heard of one. But it looks to keep the peels, right?
http://commonsensehome.com/spiced-crabapples-and-honey-cinnamon-crabapples/
I did just buy a Dynamic brand MiniPro immersion blender, as my el cheapo used one from Salvation Army bit the dust and started shocking me, lol. I haven't received it yet to test if it chops down the seeds and core. 

Thanks for any help, and as always, the HT site is awesome!! I talk about all I have learned from everyone frequently!


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

I wouldn't keep the seeds and process, I think the seeds are bitter
I use a hand food mill that cost me around $25.00 , it pulps one way and when you turn it the other way it scrapes the screen clean. I them take the leftover peels and puree and make fruit leather.
I don't like to waste anything so I string the cores and air dry and hang in the chickens areas as a treat for them and I love watching them jump up to eat or you can hang for wild birds and they will spread the seeds.
I make four quick cuts down the four sides of the apple instead of using a corer, if you are going to cook down need to cut into chunks, if you need to add a little water or juice to keep apples from sticking to bottom.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Yeah, I realized after I asked that seeds probably aren't safe to keep. lol
I do give all the core parts to our chickens, so no waste there.  I didn't think about using the tough parts to make leather... I think for now I will stick with the tedium of coring by hand, so I can keep my skins in my sauce.  I like it with skins.
Thanks for your reply!


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

You can bake the apples in the oven in a big roaster - I quarter them if they are big, halve them if they are small. Then run them through a food mill or whatever to separate out the seeds. The peels will be incorporated somewhat, although in a much smaller particle size.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Chixarecute said:


> You can bake the apples in the oven in a big roaster - I quarter them if they are big, halve them if they are small. Then run them through a food mill or whatever to separate out the seeds. The peels will be incorporated somewhat, although in a much smaller particle size.


I didn't know it could be done that way.  I am good with smaller size on the peels  I just hated the idea of wasting them, and we don't mind them in the sauce at all. I actually prefer chunkier.


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## FireMaker (Apr 3, 2014)

I uses foley food mill. The apples are quartered, not peeled or cored. Boils as needed. When soft, I run them through the foley. The seeds can not go through the screen. Nor can the skins, etc. I have three of these mills most of the times and give them away. I pick them up at thrift shops or garage sales for a couple of bucks when I see them.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I've been making applesauce for several years and have found the best method requires a pressure cooker/canner and a food mill.

Wash your apples, quarter and fill the canner to near the top. Close everything up and bring to pressure. As soon as you hear the rocker weight start to jiggle, shut the heat off and let the canner return to normal pressure by itself.

Once it's cooled, scoop out apple pulp, seeds, skins and all and run through the mill with your sauce screen in place. Season to taste, freeze or can.

If your apples are dry it's helpful to add a bit of water to the canner before you close it up. I usually put a cup or so in my 23 quart one. Bring the heat up slowly or you might get some burning on the bottom and be sure to use your canning rack so the apples don't touch the bottom of the pot and get scorched.

This is the easiest, fastest and simplest method I've used when making applesauce.


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## Beemer (Jan 10, 2012)

I use a food mill just as illustrated. My original was a Victorio strainer, now I use the Norpro strainer. Just quarter small apples, put them in a pot of boiling water (I use a large pasta pot). After about 10-12 minutes of boil, they are soft. Lift the apples out with the pasta strainer, put in a large SS bowls or pots to hold, and cook up the next batch in the same water.

My husband usually starts cutting up the apples into a large tote of lemon juices water about 1 hour before I start cooking. I can catch up to him in about 2 hours. When all apples are cooked, start scooping them into the food mill. Out pops perfect sauce in one pan and skins, seeds, stems in another. Out of four 5 gallon buckets of apples, you have only about 1/3 bucket of waste. 

It's perfect if you have 4-5 people in the process, cutting, boiling/lifting apples, loading mill/removing debris, cranking, and finally, scooping the applesauce into bags to freeze. I can it later in the fall/ winter when it is colder.


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

I don't use a mill or processer. I peel/core/slice the apples, and throw them in the pot. Cook them down to the point where there's still sigificant chunks of apples, the can the batch.

If I'm making apple butter, I do it the same way, but cook it down to where it's smooth. Curt


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## HoofPick (Jan 16, 2012)

When I make apples sauce the only thing I remove are the stems. The apples get chopped into similar sized pieces and go into the pot with a little bit of water. Once the majority of them are broken down I run them through my food mill. When I fill our 12 qt pot I'll end up with around 2 cups of seeds and skins. 

A great place to find an inexpensive food mill is goodwill. I think I paid $7 for mine. People dump new kitchen gadgets there all of the time. They think they will use something a lot and then it sits on the counter untouched for 6 months.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

BlackWillowFarm said:


> I've been making applesauce for several years and have found the best method requires a pressure cooker/canner and a food mill.
> 
> Wash your apples, quarter and fill the canner to near the top. Close everything up and bring to pressure. As soon as you hear the rocker weight start to jiggle, shut the heat off and let the canner return to normal pressure by itself.
> 
> ...


Huh... I didn't even think about a PC to cook them! I probably should forgo that route, as we have electric, and it is so darn finicky with things burning to the bottom! :O


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

ct01r said:


> I don't use a mill or processer. I peel/core/slice the apples, and throw them in the pot. Cook them down to the point where there's still sigificant chunks of apples, the can the batch.
> 
> If I'm making apple butter, I do it the same way, but cook it down to where it's smooth. Curt


I do the same, but I keep the peels. So your apple butter ends up tasting the same as apple sauce, but is smooth? How do you get that same dark color bought apple butter has? Or is that a non-needed thing and done for products only?


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

gracielagata said:


> Huh... I didn't even think about a PC to cook them! I probably should forgo that route, as we have electric, and it is so darn finicky with things burning to the bottom! :O


If you want to make a lot of applesauce in a short amount of time the pressure canner and food mill route is the way to go. 

I used an electric stove for many years. Just don't turn the heat up too high and you'll be fine. It might take a little longer for the pressure to rise, but that's okay.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

BlackWillowFarm said:


> If you want to make a lot of applesauce in a short amount of time the pressure canner and food mill route is the way to go.
> 
> I used an electric stove for many years. Just don't turn the heat up too high and you'll be fine. It might take a little longer for the pressure to rise, but that's okay.


Yeah, I learned to PC on a gas stove... man it was an eye opener when I messed up the first meal when we moved to a hose with electric! And did it smell! I had to let the pot sit for a few days with baking soda and vinegar after that one!
How do you find that seemingly temperamental middle area with the applesauce that prevents sticking? It came on me so quickly with regular cooking that I had burnt bits before I knew it. Thankfully I was able to transfer to a different pot without scraping the bottom, so I saved it all.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

I use my Vita Mix and it makes it SO easy but I know most people probably don't have one. I only remove seeds and cook til softened (usually in roaster in oven) The whole deal just gets whirled up in batches, skin and all. Skin is broken down so much you can't tell it's there but I figure it's healthier with that extra bit of fiber in there.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

lemonthyme7 said:


> I use my Vita Mix and it makes it SO easy but I know most people probably don't have one. I only remove seeds and cook til softened (usually in roaster in oven) The whole deal just gets whirled up in batches, skin and all. Skin is broken down so much you can't tell it's there but I figure it's healthier with that extra bit of fiber in there.


Yeah, I like the skin too.  I just bought a new immersion blender, as my previous cheap brand thrift store buy finally broke and was shocking me when I used it. It is a heavy duty one, so I will be able chunk the peels the same way.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

I have mastered the quick way...4 slices around the apple, toss the center, check for spots and into the pot to cook. I use a food mill (hand crank), not much waste. We had lots of apples this year.


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## ct01r (Jan 21, 2014)

gracielagata said:


> I do the same, but I keep the peels. So your apple butter ends up tasting the same as apple sauce, but is smooth? How do you get that same dark color bought apple butter has? Or is that a non-needed thing and done for products only?


The apple butter is smoother than the apple sauce, but will still have small, minute particles (too small to call "chunks"). It's not as creamy as store bought. The darkness comes from baking it down. After I cook it on the stove, I put it in rectangular pyrex pans and bake it around 250 in the oven to thicken it up. That will darken it. I also put a tad more cinamen in the butter than the sauce, and that'll darken it more. Curt


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

I do something with pears that you may want to try with apples if your going for an easy method.

I quarter pears and cut out the cores, then I puree them in my food processor. I pour the puree right into quart jars and can. I then sweeten to taste after I open the jar.

I did this one year with some apples I got from a neighbor and they were the most awful apples! Before I canned them I tasted that puree and I am not kidding it tasted like pureed cardboard. But they were all pureed and I canned them anyway, and after canning it was so sweet and delicious, I really kicked myself for only canning that one batch!

Another thing is don't be afraid to experiment a little. Puree those apples whole and see how you like the texture. I would think the seeds would puree up pretty small.....it would add fiber. Try a batch and see if it works for you.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

TerriLynn said:


> I do something with pears that you may want to try with apples if your going for an easy method.
> 
> I quarter pears and cut out the cores, then I puree them in my food processor. I pour the puree right into quart jars and can. I then sweeten to taste after I open the jar.
> 
> ...


So far I have done exactly what you say, except I left out the seeds.  You mean to say that you chunk up your raw apples, then cook them? I started that way (minus seeds/cores), my 1st batch, and it seemed so time consuming, and the apples changed color really fast. 
...You don't worry about the stuff in the seeds being bad for humans? Or is it too low an amount? I know obviously I can't get an apple tree growing in my stomach, especially since the seeds will be chopped up- phew- lol. But I thought arsenic and such was in them?


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

gracielagata said:


> So far I have done exactly what you say, except I left out the seeds.  You mean to say that you chunk up your raw apples, then cook them? I started that way (minus seeds/cores), my 1st batch, and it seemed so time consuming, and the apples changed color really fast.
> ...You don't worry about the stuff in the seeds being bad for humans? Or is it too low an amount? I know obviously I can't get an apple tree growing in my stomach, especially since the seeds will be chopped up- phew- lol. But I thought arsenic and such was in them?


Wow! I have to be honest and admit I had never heard that apple seeds contain arsenic! I don't make a habit of eating them so its not anything I had ever even thought about before.

My method of cutting (chunking) up my apples is to quarter them first, then cut out the cores. When I peel an apple I also peel them after they have been quartered.

I like chunky applesauce, so when I make it I do a few batches of applesauce by peeling and slicing the apples then cooking them down just a little and taking a potato masher to them. Then I add cinnamon and sugar to taste. I peel and slice the apples into a bowl of water until I'm ready to cook them down and it keeps the browning to a minimum. What little bit that turns brown is camouflaged by the cinnamon 

I also make what we call puree. I have used apples, but mainly do pears this way. I do not peel them but quarter them and cut out the cores. These I puree in the food processor and I do not cook them down. It goes immediately into jars and is processed. I like to use these for smoothies and baking.

I also have a crabapple tree and those apples are little! I just wash and halve those, then cook down until soft and run through a food mill. Honestly this is the fastest way out of all the apples I put up. However it removes the skins as well as the seeds. The only thing I can think of to suggest here if your determined to keep the skins in the applesauce is maybe you could pick the skins out of the food mill and add it back in? But to me that sounds like just as much work as coring apples.

I have to say one thing, if you end up doing a lot of these apples you will get faster at it !


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

TerriLynn said:


> Wow! I have to be honest and admit I had never heard that apple seeds contain arsenic! I don't make a habit of eating them so its not anything I had ever even thought about before.
> 
> My method of cutting (chunking) up my apples is to quarter them first, then cut out the cores. When I peel an apple I also peel them after they have been quartered.
> 
> ...


I had the wrong one- it is cyanide in apple seed. I always get arsenic and cyanide backwards!.  
And if we can trust Snopes, we are all good.  It is very minute amounts in seeds, and the seeds have tough coatings, so we just, ahem, pass the seeds right through (when they are whole). Which that part I was fairly sure of. 

Anyhoo... I do like your idea of rougher chopping the seed area out and just tossing them in. I think once I start getting the massive amounts of apples I hope to get, I will be able to do that, without feeling bad for the bits of lost apple! 
And I hear you on the little! The apples I was using weren't crabapples I don't think, but man they were tiny- many were smaller than a clementine! 

Here is the snopes link, if you wanted to read more.  
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/apples.asp


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