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Whole Foods is a chain of supermarkets specializing in organic and just plain healthy and delicious foods. They can be found all over the country though not in every state. They are in Canada and in the United Kingdom as well. 365 is their own brand. Whole Foods is not the least expensive shopping you’ll be doing but I believe we get what we pay for.
Much of the food I eat is organic. Some foods I insist must be organic. Apples are one of these foods. I buy 365 Organic Unsweetened Applesauce and it is absolutely delicious. Sugar is not needed with this product.
It comes in a glass 24 ounce jar. Please recycle the glass if possible. There is expiration on the top. For example on my current jar the expiration date is June 7, 2009. This applesauce must be refrigerated after you open it.
It is distributed by Whole Foods, Austin, TX and Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International. This is important when buying organic foods. You’ll see two circles. One will have the Quality Assurance stamp and the other one will have the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture stamp.
A family owned company in Vermont makes this applesauce. It’s so good because the apples, which are mostly organic McIntosh, are cooked in small batches with the skin on. This keeps the applesauce tasting like apples and makes the color of the applesauce look darker. The apple peel also gives us nutrients nutrients, fiber and the darker color.
I love the applesauce as dessert. I don’t eat sweets on a regular basis but I do like sweet food so the applesauce not only hits the spot but is healthy for me, satisfying and filling. If you want to spruce it up a bit I add one or all of the following: nuts of any kind, shredded coconut, raisins and banana.
Potato pancakes (latkes) and Blintzes (sort of like a crepe) are another favorites of mine and taste wonderful with applesauce (and/or sour cream as well). If you are a meat eater you may enjoy 356’s Organic Applesauce on ham and pork chops.
Half a cup which is 130 grams is one serving with 100 calories none of which are from fat. There are only 15 grams of sodium; 26 grams of carbohydrates; 2 grams of fiber; 14 grams of sugar and .03 grams of protein. It will give you 50% of the daily nutria value of Vitamin C that you need per day.
The ingredients are organic apples and vitamin C. The sugar is found naturally in the apples.
Try it. You’ll love it although you will spend at least twice as much as non-organic applesauce. This jar was $3.29.
Related : How to Buy or Make (and Bake with!) this Sweet Favorite
Make certain you buy organic applesauce that’s unsweetened. Regular apples (which are turned into applesauce) carry pesticide residues and extra sugar adds unneeded calories. Can’t find organic? Check all “natural” applesauce labels and nix the brands that contain high fructose corn syrup.
The Daily Green references a list of organic applesauce varietiesa Good Housekeeping taste-tested. Here’s a condensed list:
Organic Applesauce Brands:
365
Eden Organic (my personal favorite)
Santa Cruz
Vermont Village
Wild Harvest
How to Make Homemade Organic Applesauce
Use organic ingredients! Serve warm or cold, and enjoy! The following organic applesauce recipe is courtesy of Necessary Room.
Ingredients
2 to 3 organic apples, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup organic orange juice (fresh squeezed or a 100 percent orange juice brand)
1/8 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp ground organic cinnamon
Method
Combine orange juice and chopped apples in a deep saucepan.
Boil for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring often.
Stir in brown sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon.
Cook uncovered until the apples reach the desired consistency (for about 20 minutes), stirring often. Adjust measurement of ingredients to suit your taste.
Serve warm and enjoy.
Note: You can store up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Put in food processor or blender and puree if you prefer applesauce with a smoother texture.
Heavenly Homemakers and Simple Daily Recipes have two similar and equally detailed recipes for making homemade organic applesauce in large batches.
Baking with Applesauce
Organic applesauce can be used to replace liquid fats (not softened butter) when baking. Replace melted butter or oil with an equal amount of applesauce. Be aware — you may need to bake a tad longer when using applesauce (Mother Earth News, 2009).
The following moist, organic pumpkin bread recipe is a great example of a tasty, irresistible baked good that has oil that can be replaced with applesauce.
From a Libby’s advert (2004). Makes 2 loaves.
Ingredients
3 cups organic flour (all-purpose is suggested in the ingredients, but I’ve used organic varieties)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons organic pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups organic sugar
15 ounces of pureed, very smooth organic pumpkin
4 large organic eggs
1 cup organic applesauce (unsweetened, with cinnamon if you’d like)
1/2 cup organic orange juice or water
1 cup organic frozen, fresh, or dried cranberries
Method
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Oil, flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir until moistened. Fold in cranberries.
Spoon batter into loaf pans and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove (to wire racks if you like) to cool completely.
Agencies
