 Commercially processed apple sauce | |
| Type | Purée |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Apple |
| Variations | Apple butter |
Apple sauce is apurée (not necessarily served as a truesauce) made ofapples. It can be made with peeled or unpeeled apples and can be spiced or sweetened. Apple sauce is inexpensive and is widely consumed inNorth America and some parts ofEurope.[1]
A wide range ofapple varieties are used to make apple sauce, depending on the preference for sweetness or tartness.[2][3] Formerly, sour apples were usually used to make savory apple sauce.[4]
Commercial versions of apple sauce are readily available atsupermarkets and otherretail outlets.
Apple sauce is made by cooking apples with water orapple cider (fresh apple juice). More acidic apples will render a finerpurée; the highly acidicBramley apple creates a very fine purée. The apples may or may not be peeled. If they are not peeled, the peels andseeds are typically separated in afood mill.[5]Sugar and spices such ascinnamon,allspice, and evenRed Hot candies may be added for flavor.Lemon juice,citric acid, or otheracidifiers may be used to preserve the color and ensure a high enoughacidity for safe storage.Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) also preserves the color.[6]
Apple sauce can be made bybaking rather thanboiling, in which case the apples are peeled and cored before cooking.[7] The same process is applied when preparing the sauce in aslow cooker.[8]
Home or commerciallycanned apple sauce issterilized by heat to preserve freshness.[9][better source needed]
Apple butter is a highly concentrated version of apple sauce. Its high concentration of sugar gives it a long shelf life.[10]
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Apple sauce is served as aside 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 aspork chops and apple sauce.
American-style apple sauce is not widely available in Britain. An applepreserve, containing chopped, not puréed apples, is sold as "apple sauce." In the UK it is typically sold under the nameapple purée and as a popular form ofbaby food.
InSweden andBritain, it is commonly served with roast pork and goose. TheDanishæbleflæsk combines the pork with apple sauce while cooking it.
InCentral Europe it accompaniespotato pancakes, in theRhineland it is served withReibekuchen. InAshkenazi cuisine, it is the standard accompaniment forHanukkahlatkes. It also accompaniesmatzah brei.Apple sauce is served with many foods:Flurgönder (a smoked brawn), various kinds ofSpätzle,Schupfnudeln,SwissÄlplermagronen, a kind of macaroni and cheese. InNetherlands andBelgian 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.[11]
In many cuisines, apple sauce is a common accompaniment toblood sausage: theGermanHimmel und Erde; the Luxembourgishträipen and theFrenchboudin noir. In fact the only French savory dish normally served with apple sauce (compote de pommes) isboudin sausage. It is also served with other sausage-like preparations, for examplegoetta andknipp.
Apple sauce may also be served as a dessert in mostEuropean cuisines, or used as an ingredient inapple sauce cake.[12] Apple sauce may be used as a sauce forPolishpierogi, SwedishÄggakaka,Ukrainiansyrniki pancakes,Central EuropeanPalatschinken, AustrianKaiserschmarrn and various kinds of sweet and savory dumplings (Knödel). InScandinavian cuisine, it is sometimes served with breakfastfilmjölk, 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.[4]
In some recipes for baked goods, apple sauce can be used as a substitute for fat[13][14] oreggs to make them low-fat orvegan.[15][13][14]Bavariansweet mustard may be made with apple sauce, and is typically served withWeißwurst (similar toboudin blanc) orLeberkäse (a sort of pâté).
According to theUSDA, a 100 grams (3.5 oz) reference amount of unsweetened apple sauce is 82% water, 18%carbohydrates, and contains negligiblefat andprotein, while supplying 68 kilocalories (280 kJ) of food energy.[16] It has anacidicpH between 3.3 and 3.6.[17]
TheBRAT diet and theCRAM diet, which are given to children withdiarrhea and stomach problems, include apple sauce.[18][19]
Apples are the third most internationally traded fruit, behind bananas and grapes.[20] 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 therevenue share in 2017.
Brick-and-mortar retail stores account for about 85% of the market share for apple sauce, as compared to 15% amonge-retailers.[citation needed]
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Sauces made with apples date to at least theMiddle Ages.[21][22]
Apple butters were brought to the Americas by German immigrants such as theMoravians andPennsylvania Dutch. They are traditionally associated with theAppalachian region of theUnited States and SouthernPennsylvania.[22]
Media related toApple sauce at Wikimedia Commons
