Making your own version of Pressure Cooker Applesauce is extremely easy and fun! Plus, it’s healthy, tasty and fast. Applesauce always reminds me of my British stepfather. Boy, he really loves his applesauce! We always joke about how he puts it on everything. 🙂
Below is a complete guide that breaks down the steps for making applesauce in pressure cooker and covers most frequently asked questions.
Best Apples for Applesauce?
Apples vary widely in their texture and flavor.
Any apple that is great for cooking/baking are perfect for making applesauce. Using mix apple varieties will bring another dimension to your applesauce.
Popular Apple Cultivars for Applesauce:
To Peel or Not to Peel?
Peeling is completely optional.
We were able to make smooth applesauce without peeling by using an Immersion Hand Blender. Try to use organic apples or wash them really well if you are not peeling.
What Spices to Use for Applesauce?
Spices are completely optional.
Here are some spices that go extremely well with apple:
Try them all or leave them out, and see which combination you like the most! Be sure to add whole spices into pressure cooker with the apples to extract more flavor.
What Sweetener to Use for Applesauce?
Best Choices of Sweeteners:
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
The above sweeteners pair very well with apple. If you like a bolder flavor, maple syrup is a good choice too.
Make sure to taste test and add the sweetener after blending to avoid sweetness overload. You can omit sweeteners if your apples are sweet enough.
Is Lemon Juice Required for Applesauce?
There is an on-going discussion in the Canning community about adding lemon juice or citric acid to help preserve applesauce.
Many people found that applesauce preserves well with or without any added lemon juice. With that said, lemon juice and orange juice pair well with apple. So, if you like the flavors, add some!
Should I Use Water or Apple Juice?
You will only need a small amount of liquid (1/4 cup) to get the applesauce started in the pressure cooker.
If you use a very sweet apple juice with Fuji apples, your applesauce may come out overly sweet. Generally, we find using water adequate for making applesauce.
Any Secret Ingredients?
Adding a pinch of salt at the end of cooking enhances the flavors of the apples and spices.
Give it a taste test before and after to see the difference!
Chunks or Quartered?
Quartered will be fine in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
Natural Release or Quick Release?
Applesauce can be foamy. Better to be safe than sorry! No one wants to clean up a hot mess. We recommend doing a Natural Release for making pressure cooker applesauce.
Avoid filling the inner pot over 1/2 full. Please see Instant Pot User Manual (page 3).
8. When cooking foods that expand during cooking such as grains, beans, and dried vegetables, do not fill the unit over 1/2 full. Overfilling may cause a risk of clogging the pressure release valve and developing excess pressure.
Pressure Cooker Applesauce Cooking Time?
High Pressure 5 minutes + Natural Release
The Best Way to Blend?
Best way for the smoothest pressure cooker applesauce is to blend it with an Immersion Hand Blender right in the pressure cooker. It has enough power to blend the apple peels. Bonus: Less dishes to wash 😉
If you like a chunkier applesauce, use a potato masher instead.
Do You Have a Pressure Cooker Applesauce Recipe?
Yes! Here is our simple Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe.
Have fun making your very own Pressure Cooker Applesauce! 🙂
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