View source for Apple sauce

{{Short description|Purée made from apples}}
{{About||the 2015 film|Applesauce (film)}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Apple sauce
| name_lang =
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| image = [[File:Applesauce.jpg|250px]]
| image_upright =
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| caption = Commercially processed apple sauce
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| type = Purée
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| mintime = 
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| main_ingredient = [[Apple]]
| minor_ingredient = 
| variations = [[Apple butter]]
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| similar_dish = 
| cookbook = Applesauce
| commons = Category:Applesauce
| other = 
| no_recipes = false
}}
'''Apple sauce''' is a [[purée]] (not necessarily served as a true [[sauce]]) made of [[apple]]s.  It can be made with peeled or unpeeled apples and can be spiced or sweetened. Apple sauce is inexpensive and is widely consumed in [[North America]] and some parts of [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Palmatier|first=Robert Allen|title=Food: a dictionary of literal and nonliteral terms|year=2000|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-313-31436-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_0313314365/page/11 11]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0313314365|url-access=registration}}</ref>

A wide range of [[apple varieties]] are used to make apple sauce, depending on the preference for sweetness or tartness.<ref>Erin Huffstetler, "The 11 Best Apples for Applesauce", ' [https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-apples-for-applesauce-1389162 10/02/2019] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321161403/https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-apples-for-applesauce-1389162 |date=2020-03-21 }}</ref><ref>"Recommended Uses of Apple Varieties", in Tim Burford, ''Apples of North America: Exceptional Varieties for Gardeners, Growers, and Cooks'', 2013, {{isbn|1604692499}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQp5AAAAQBAJ&q=applesauce&pg=PA278 p. 278] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101182458/https://books.google.com/books?id=uQp5AAAAQBAJ&vq=applesauce&pg=PA278 |date=2023-01-01 }}</ref> Formerly, sour apples were usually used to make savory apple sauce.<ref name="hale"/>

Commercial versions of apple sauce are readily available at [[supermarkets]] and other [[retail]] outlets.

==Preparation==
[[File:Homemade-applesauce-in-progress.png|thumb|Making apple sauce]]	
Apple sauce is made by cooking apples with water or [[apple cider]] (fresh apple juice). More acidic apples will render a finer [[purée]]; the highly acidic [[Bramley apple]] creates a very fine purée. The apples may or may not be peeled. If they are not peeled, the peels and [[seed]]s are typically separated in a [[food mill]].<ref>[[Mark Bittman]], ''How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food'', 20th anniversary edition, 2019, {{isbn|1328545679}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=z99-DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22food%20mill%22&pg=PA364 p. 364] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101182458/https://books.google.com/books?id=z99-DwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&lpg=PA364&dq=%22food%20mill%22&pg=PA364 |date=2023-01-01 }}</ref> [[Sugar]] and spices such as [[cinnamon]], [[allspice]], and even [[Red Hots|Red Hot]] candies may be added for flavor. [[Lemon juice]], [[citric acid]], or other [[acidifier]]s may be used to preserve the color and ensure a high enough [[acid]]ity for safe storage. [[Ascorbic acid|Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)]] also preserves the color.<ref>{{Cite web |last=University |first=Utah State |title=How to Preserve Apples |url=https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/apples |access-date=2025-10-20 |website=extension.usu.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Apple sauce can be made by [[baking]] rather than [[boiling]], in which case the apples are peeled and cored before cooking.<ref>[[Eliza Acton]], ''Modern Cookery, for Private Families'', 1860, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kXsCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA124 p. 124] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101182457/https://books.google.com/books?id=kXsCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA124 |date=2023-01-01 }}</ref> The same process is applied when preparing the sauce in a [[slow cooker]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=This Is Hands-Down the Easiest Way To Make Applesauce |url=https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-applesauce-in-the-slow-cooker-223486 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251010125337/https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-applesauce-in-the-slow-cooker-223486 |archive-date=2025-10-10 |access-date=2025-10-20 |work=Kitchn |language=en}}</ref>

Home or commercially [[canning|canned]] apple sauce is [[Sterilization (microbiology)|sterilized]] by heat to preserve freshness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.applesfromny.com/about/apple-products/applesauce|title=Applesauce|website=NY Apple Association|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-03-23}}</ref>{{Better source|date=December 2024}} 

===Apple butter===
{{main|Apple butter}}
Apple butter is a highly concentrated version of apple sauce. Its high concentration of sugar gives it a long shelf life.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rosenstein|first=Mark|title=In Praise of Apples: A Harvest of History, Horticulture & Recipes|year=1999|publisher=Lark Books|isbn=978-1-57990-124-0|page=135|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bq6k9IyHd74C&pg=PA135|access-date=11 January 2011}}</ref>

==Uses==
{{Cookbook|Applesauce}}
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2024}} 
Apple sauce is served as a [[side dish]] in northern Europe and North America. In the United States, packaged apple sauce is primarily branded as a children's snack, and is ubiquitous in school cafeterias. In American cuisine, it is commonly served as [[pork chops and apple sauce]].

American-style apple sauce is not widely available in Britain. An apple [[Fruit preserves|preserve]], containing chopped, not puréed apples, is sold as "apple sauce." In the UK it is typically sold under the name '''apple purée''' and as a popular form of [[baby food]].

In [[Swedish cuisine|Sweden]] and [[British cuisine|Britain]], it is commonly served with roast pork and goose. The [[Danish cuisine|Danish]] [[æbleflæsk]] combines the pork with apple sauce while cooking it.

[[File:Latkas.jpg|thumb|[[Latke]]s served with apple sauce and sour cream]]
In [[Central European cuisine|Central Europe]] it accompanies [[potato pancake]]s, in the [[Rhineland]] it is served with [[Reibekuchen]]. In [[Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine|Ashkenazi cuisine]], it is the standard accompaniment for [[Hanukkah]] [[latke]]s. It also accompanies [[matzah brei]].
Apple sauce is served with many foods: [[Flurgönder]] (a smoked brawn), various kinds of [[Spätzle]], [[Schupfnudeln]], [[Swiss cuisine|Swiss]] [[Älplermagronen]], a kind of macaroni and cheese. In [[Dutch cuisine|Netherlands]] and [[Belgian cuisine|Belgian]] cuisine, apple sauce is part of the common dish of chicken, french fries, and apple sauce (''kip, frieten/patat en appelmoes''). It is especially popular among children, who dip their fries in apple sauce.<ref>"The Dutch Table" [https://www.thedutchtable.com/2013/09/appelmoes.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323204718/https://www.thedutchtable.com/2013/09/appelmoes.html|date=2020-03-23}}</ref>

In many cuisines, apple sauce is a common accompaniment to [[blood sausage]]: the [[German cuisine|German]] [[Himmel und Erde]]; the Luxembourgish [[träipen]] and the [[French cuisine|French]] ''boudin noir''. In fact the only French savory dish normally served with apple sauce (''[[compote]] de pommes'') is ''[[boudin]]'' sausage. It is also served with other sausage-like preparations, for example [[goetta]] and [[knipp]].

Apple sauce may also be served as a dessert in most [[European cuisine]]s, or used as an ingredient in [[apple sauce cake]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.theodora.com/recipies/cakes_and_frostings/applesauce_cake.html |title=Apple sauce Cake, Source: U.S. Department of Defence |work=Theodora's Recipes|access-date= 1 March 2014}}</ref> Apple sauce may be used as a sauce for [[Polish cuisine|Polish]] [[pierogi]], Swedish [[Äggakaka]], [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukrainian]] [[syrniki]] pancakes, [[Central European cuisine|Central European]] [[Palatschinke]]n, Austrian [[Kaiserschmarrn]] and various kinds of sweet and savory dumplings ([[Knödel]]). In [[Scandinavian cuisine]], it is sometimes served with breakfast [[filmjölk]], a kind of fermented milk.

Formerly heavily sweetened and boiled-down apple sauce was prepared for winter storage. Made with sour apples, it was eaten with meat; made with sweet apples, it was eaten with tea.<ref name="hale">{{cite book|last=Hale|first=Sarah Josepha Buell|title=The good housekeeper: or, The way to live well and to be well while we live : containing directions for choosing and preparing food, in regard to health, economy and taste|year=1839|publisher=Weeks, Jordan|page=[https://archive.org/details/goodhousekeeper00halegoog/page/n85 79]|url=https://archive.org/details/goodhousekeeper00halegoog|author-link=Sarah Josepha Hale|access-date=11 January 2011}}</ref>

In some recipes for baked goods, apple sauce can be used as a substitute for fat<ref name="Reducing Fat in Your Favorite Baked Goods Recipes Wilton.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/baking-alternatives-reducing-fat-in-your-favorite-baked-goods-recipes/|title=Baking Alternatives - Reducing Fat in Your Favorite Baked Goods Recipes|work=Wilton Blog - Ideas from Wilton|access-date=1 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104224919/http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/baking-alternatives-reducing-fat-in-your-favorite-baked-goods-recipes/|archive-date=4 November 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/low-fat-baking3.htm|title=HowStuffWorks "Ultimate Guide to Low-fat Baking"|work=HowStuffWorks|date=April 2000 |access-date=1 October 2014}}</ref> or [[Egg as food|eggs]] to make them low-fat or [[Veganism|vegan]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Julie R. Thomson |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/7-ways-to-substitute-eggs-in-vegan-baking_us_55c2558ae4b0138b0bf4ccb7 |title=5 Ingredients To Substitute For Eggs In Vegan Baking |website=Huffington Post |date=11 August 2015|orig-year=6 August 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Reducing Fat in Your Favorite Baked Goods Recipes Wilton.com"/><ref name="auto2"/>
Bavarian [[Mustard (condiment)|sweet mustard]] may be made with apple sauce, and is typically served with [[Weißwurst]] (similar to ''boudin blanc'') or [[Leberkäse]] (a sort of pâté).

==Nutritional information==
According to the [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]], a {{convert|100|g}} reference amount of unsweetened apple sauce is 82% water, 18% [[carbohydrate]]s, and contains negligible [[fat]] and [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], while supplying {{convert|68|kcal}} of food energy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Regular applesauce|url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1102645/nutrients|access-date=6 April 2021|publisher=FoodData Central, US Department of Agriculture|date=30 October 2020}}</ref> It has an [[acid]]ic [[pH]] between 3.3 and 3.6.<ref>{{cite web |author1=William McGlynn |title=The Importance of Food pH in Commercial Canning Operations (Applesauce in Table 2) |url=http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Rendition-3801/FAPC-118web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223010718/http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Rendition-3801/FAPC-118web.pdf |archive-date=2018-12-23 |url-status=live |publisher=Oklahoma State University - Data from FDA, 1992 |access-date=6 April 2021 |date=1994}}</ref>

===In therapeutic diets===
The [[BRAT diet]] and the [[CRAM diet]], which are given to children with [[diarrhea]] and stomach problems, include apple sauce.<ref name=Mac2005>{{cite journal|last1=Mackell|first1=S|title=Traveler's diarrhea in the pediatric population: etiology and impact|journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases|date=1 December 2005|volume=41 |issue=Supplement 8|pages=S547-52|pmid=16267717|doi=10.1086/432950|doi-access=|s2cid=7714807}}</ref><ref name=CDC2003>{{cite journal |vauthors=King CK, Glass R, Bresee JS, Duggan C |title=Managing acute gastroenteritis among children: oral rehydration, maintenance, and nutritional therapy |journal=MMWR Recomm Rep |volume=52 |issue=RR-16 |pages=1–16 | date=November 2003 |pmid=14627948 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5216a1.htm}}</ref>

==Economy==
Apples are the third most internationally traded fruit, behind bananas and grapes.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Tuberosa |first1=Roberto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qgrGBAAAQBAJ&dq=Apples+are+the+third+most+internationally+traded+fruit,+behind+bananas+and+grapes&pg=PA388 |title=Genomics of Plant Genetic Resources: Volume 2. Crop productivity, food security and nutritional quality |last2=Graner |first2=Andreas |last3=Frison |first3=Emile |date=2013-12-23 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-94-007-7575-6 |language=en}}</ref> The global apple sauce trade is expanding, with a market valued at US$1.611 billion in 2017 projected to reach US$2.169 billion by the end of the year 2026. This increase in demand can be attributed to an increase in interest for apple flavored products, with increased global consumption of apple flavored juices and sauces.

Apple sauce is most commonly packaged in cups, jars, pouches, and cans. Apple sauce cups are the largest segment of the apple sauce market, comprising 40.9% of the [[Revenue sharing|revenue share]] in 2017.

Brick-and-mortar retail stores account for about 85% of the market share for apple sauce, as compared to 15% among [[Electronic retailing|e-retailers]].{{Cn|date=December 2024}}

==Origins==
{{Unreliable sources|date=November 2020}}
Sauces made with apples date to at least the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Food history: applesauce {{!}} ErinNudi.com|url=https://www.erinnudi.com/2014/09/05/food-history-applesauce/|access-date=2020-11-18|website=www.erinnudi.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The Food Timeline--history notes: algae to creamed onions|url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq.html#applesauce|access-date=2020-11-18|website=www.foodtimeline.org}}</ref>

[[Apple butter]]s were brought to the Americas by German immigrants such as the [[Moravians]] and [[Pennsylvania Dutch]].  They are traditionally associated with the [[Appalachia]]n region of the [[United States]] and Southern [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name=":1" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[Mott's]], a major US producer
* [[Seneca Foods]], a major US producer
* [[Prigat]], a major Israeli producer
* [[Three Threes Condiments]], an Australian producer

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Apple sauce}}

{{Apples}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apple Sauce}}
[[Category:Apple dishes|Sauce]]
[[Category:Belgian cuisine]]
[[Category:British cuisine]]
[[Category:English cuisine]]
[[Category:Dutch cuisine]]
[[Category:German cuisine]]
[[Category:American condiments]]
[[Category: British condiments]]
[[Category:Food for children]]