My favorite time of year, hands down, is Fall. The change of season, the change of weather, the crisp sweater feel, the leaves, the smells…and the spices, oh yes, the spices! I love cinnamon and I am so excited to share with you a delicious recipe that not only children will enjoy, but it is healthy and they can actually help you make.
Let’s begin with washing our apples very well. I fill up the sink halfway and add 3 drops of Lemon essential oil by Young Living. It is said that one single drop is equivalent to about 1lb of lemons, so I know that these apples will be super clean and super healthy, removing anything that doesn’t belong.
We soak the apples in the lemon essential oil in water for about 15 minutes (if apples are not organic, soak for 30) and use a soft bristle vegetable scrub brush. Our soft bristle brush is from The Pampered Chef and it comes with both soft and hard bristles.
For our children to be able to help us in the kitchen and be independent in the bathroom (by the sink to wash their hands, to brush their teeth, hair, etc), we use a Learning Tower. It has been amazing how much they can do with a little help (height-wise).
We patted the apples dry and then we peeled using a swivel peeler and a ceramic peeler. My children have been doing Montessori Practical Life work all of their lives, so they are familiar with peelers and safety using them. They both helped me peel the 5lbs of apples. It was wonderful having some help with peeling and with clean-up.
We even had a taster to make sure they were ok to eat. 🙂
Next, I used a corer/slicer to do it faster. I put all the apple (after they have been peeler, cored and sliced) in a pot with about 2 inches of water and a vegetable steamer. Cover with a boil-over and set stove to high for 6-8 minutes. I like them steamed, but still a bit crisp. Steam for 10 minutes if you like the apples really soft, just make sure that there is enough water in the pot.
Blend for a couple of minutes, until you can see that everything has been incorporated and there are no big apple chunks (unless you like it that way). This is the consistency we like. Soft, but not watery. Gritty, but not chunky.
Voilá! Delicious! Chill for a cool, Summer snack or warm up to enjoy in the Fall or Winter. You may add a dollop of fruit jam, butter, maple syrup or other spices like nutmeg or allspice if you want to change it up a bit. Enjoy alone or over oatmeal or hot cereal. I love storing them in mason jars with handles.
Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ~ 5lbs apples peeled, cored and sliced into 4, 6 or 8 slices
- ~ 1/2 cup of apple juice or water
- ~ Juice of half a lemon or 1 drop of lemon essential oil
- ~ 1 tsp organic ground cinnamon
- ~ 1/2 cup of coconut sugar or white sugar or brown sugar
- Optional: raw crushed pecans, organic maple syrup, organic nutmeg, organic allspice, organic grass-fed butter
Instructions
- Let’s begin with washing our apples very well. I fill up the sink halfway and add 3 drops of Lemon essential oil by Young Living. It is said that one single drop is equivalent to about 1lb of lemons, so I know that these apples will be super clean and super healthy, removing anything that doesn’t belong.
- We soak the apples in the lemon essential oil in water for about 15 minutes (if apples are not organic, soak for 30) and use a soft bristle vegetable scrub brush. Our soft bristle brush is from The Pampered Chef and it comes with both soft and hard bristles.
- We patted the apples dry and then we peeled using a swivel peeler and a ceramic peeler
- Next, I used a corer/slicer to do it faster. I put all the apple (after they have been peeler, cored and slicein a pot with about 2 inches of water and a vegetable steamer. Cover with a boil-over and set stove to high for 6-8 minutes. I like them steamed, but still a bit crisp. Steam for 10 minutes if you like the apples really soft, just make sure that there is enough water in the pot.
- Let the apples cool for about 10 minutes before spooning into the blender. We love using the Ninja blender. It is amazingly quick and efficient.
Tricia Goodmama says
My son and I both love apple sauce. I am going to have to try to make this sometime! Thanks for the recipe.