Homemade Applesauce
By Jude Horak, UC patient. Flare-friendly. Snack.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Store applesauce is fine, and I keep a jar around, but making it myself takes twenty minutes and lets me control two things that matter during a flare: how smooth it is and how much sugar goes in. The apples are peeled, cored, and simmered in a little water until they collapse, then mashed for a chunky sauce or blended for a completely smooth one, which is where I land when symptoms are active. No sugar is needed with a sweet apple like Gala or Fuji, and a pinch of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon are the only other ingredients. Warm applesauce straight from the pot is one of my favorite snacks on a flare afternoon, and it doubles as a topping for oatmeal, cream of wheat, or pancakes. It keeps in the fridge for about a week, so one batch covers a lot of ground. Cooking and peeling are what turn a raw apple, which I avoid mid-flare, into something gentle.
Why it works for UC
A raw apple with its skin carries a good amount of insoluble fiber, and that skin is what makes apples harder to tolerate when the colon is inflamed. Peeling removes the skin, and simmering the flesh softens what remains into mostly soluble pectin, which forms a gel rather than adding rough bulk. Applesauce made this way is essentially the same food as the jarred version, with the added benefit that you choose the sweetness and blend it as smooth as you need. It still contains natural sorbitol, so portion size matters for some people.
Ingredient pages: Applesauce
Ingredients
- 3 lb sweet apples such as Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp (about 6 medium)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, only if the apples are tart
Method
- 1Peel the apples completely, cut them into quarters, and cut out the cores and any seeds. Chop each quarter into three or four chunks so they cook evenly.
- 2Put the apple chunks in a medium saucepan with the water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- 3Cook covered for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring once or twice, until the apples are falling apart and a spoon crushes them with no effort. Add a splash more water if the pan looks dry.
- 4For chunky sauce, mash with a potato masher right in the pot. For smooth sauce, which I prefer during a flare, blend with a stick blender or in a regular blender until no pieces remain.
- 5Taste and stir in maple syrup only if it needs it. Eat warm or cool completely and refrigerate in a jar for up to a week.
Tips and swaps
- A mix of two apple varieties gives a rounder flavor than one. Gala plus Honeycrisp is my usual pairing.
- Sweet apples need no sugar at all. Granny Smith makes a bright, tart sauce but usually needs a little maple syrup.
- Applesauce freezes well in small containers for months, so double the batch if you have the apples.
- If sorbitol from apples tends to bother you, keep servings to about half a cup and see how it goes.
What a serving gives you
A half-cup serving provides a little vitamin C, some potassium, and about 15 grams of natural carbohydrate, most of it fruit sugar. The pectin is a soluble fiber that can help firm up loose stool for some people. There is no fat and no protein, so applesauce is a gentle snack or topping rather than a meal; I pair it with Greek yogurt or peanut butter toast when I need more.
Questions about this recipe
Do I need to peel the apples?
During a flare, yes. The skin is where most of the insoluble fiber lives and it never fully softens, even after long cooking; you end up with tough flecks in the sauce. In remission you can leave the skins on and blend hard, which adds fiber and a pink tint. I peel every time when symptoms are active and it makes a real difference for me.
Can I make this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot?
Yes. In a slow cooker, add everything and cook on low for four hours, then mash. In an Instant Pot, pressure cook on high for five minutes with a natural release. Both methods use less water since nothing evaporates, so cut it to a quarter cup. The stovetop is still my default because it is fast and I can watch the texture.
