Store-bought apple sauce cups are a convenient and easy way to enjoy the gotta-have-it-in-my-lunch-pack-snack, but by making it at home, you can transform apple sauce into a sophisticated treat that both kids and adults will love. DIY apple sauce is as easy to make as it is to devour, and, with the help of ginger ale, it becomes a reward-worthy, restaurant menu-inspired relish.
At its simplest, making homemade apple sauce requires peeling apples, removing the cores, and dicing them before adding them to a sauce pan or slow cooker with water to simmer. By replacing water with ginger ale, your apple sauce achieves a tangy, citrusy, gently spicy flavor that’s juicy and refreshing. The sugar in the ginger ale provides a dessert-like sweetness that harmonizes with the naturally tart and bright taste of apples, as the bubbly ginger kick of the old-school soda adds a dimension of flavor you won’t find in the store-bought cups. Plus, ginger ale marries well with other traditional homemade apple sauce ingredients, ensuring you never have to compromise on or omit your favorite fruity fixings.
Tips for making ginger ale apple sauce
Ginger ale-kissed apple sauce is one of those dishes that’s crafty, inventive, and downright fun to make. But whether you’re enlisting the grandkids for a Sunday afternoon cooking lesson or preparing a batch to crown your world-famous Hannukah latkes, keeping a few tips in mind guarantees that your scratch-made ginger ale apple sauce will taste like royalty without the enormous effort of a palace chef.
To achieve a well-balanced flavor profile, opt for two types of apples with complementary flavors. Select a handful of sweet varieties, like Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious apples, and an equal amount of tart or acidic ones, like McIntosh and Pink Lady apples. Surprisingly, not all ginger ale is made with ginger, so try to purchase a brand that contains the real stuff to engineer a batch of apple sauce with an authentic undercurrent of peppery, citrusy goodness. For a juicy, silky, yet substantial mouthfeel, ratios are important. A good rule of thumb is one can of ginger ale for every six apples.
Don’t hesitate to jazz up your ginger ale applesauce with complementary ingredients for a more full-bodied flavor. The warming spice of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves mingle with ginger ale to create a chai-inspired taste tempered by the vibrant flavor of apples. A dash of honey provides a floral sweetness, while a spoonful of maple syrup imparts a cozier touch. Enjoy ginger ale apple sauce as a stand-alone snack or you can mix it into oatmeal, stuff it into donuts, or weave it into a marinade.
