Name: Red Hot Applesauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Ingredients: 5 pounds cooking apples (see Notes), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths; 1 1/2 cups apple cider; 1/2–3/4 cup sugar (see Notes); 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 tablespoons candy; red hots; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Red Hot Applesauce

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When I was growing up, our next-door neighbors gave out jars of their homemade, retro-inspired red hot applesauce every year around Christmastime. It always looked so festive with its bright red coloring complementing the green ribbon around the jar. Those cinnamon red hots were ﬁrst introduced in the 1930s, and once people realized they could be incorporated into gelatins and applesauce, they were an even bigger hit.

Author: Addie Gundry
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 5 cups 1x
Category: Sides & Sauces

Ingredients

Scale

5 pounds cooking apples (see Notes), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2–3/4 cup sugar (see Notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons candy
red hots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

In a 6-quart stockpot, combine the apples, cider, sugar, vanilla, candy red hots, and salt. Stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 18 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, until the apples are soft.
Use a wire potato masher to mash the apples to the consistency you like: less for slightly chunky applesauce and more for smooth. Or use an immersion blender to make a smooth sauce. Pour into bowls and serve.

Notes

Cooking apples, like McIntosh or Empire, will make a sweeter sauce; add a tart apple, like Granny Smith, to make the ﬂavor more complex. Depending on the type of apples used, the cook time will vary, so check after 40 minutes to determine how much longer to cook. The apples should be quite soft and easy to mash.
Different apples will also have different degrees of sweetness—remember that the red hots will add a bit of sugar as well. You may wish to use slightly less than 3/4 cup sugar in the cooking process and taste after the sauce is mashed, adding a tablespoon or more as desired to the ﬁnal product.

Find it online: https://foodgardening.mequoda.com/recipe/red-hot-applesauce/