We used to eat these St. Lucia buns on December 13 when my mother, who is Swedish, was a child.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Additional Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 45 mins |
| Servings: | 30 |
| Yield: | 3 3/4 cups |
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 (1/4 inch thick) slice fresh ginger
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 piece cheesecloth
- 3 pounds apples – peeled, cored, and quartered
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or more to taste
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove 2 thick strips of lemon peel, being careful to avoid the bitter pith. Tie up lemon peel, cinnamon stick, ginger, star anise, and cloves in cheesecloth for easy retrieval after cooking.
- Place apples in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®). Add cheesecloth bundle, water, and salt. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions; set timer for 5 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
- Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions, 15 to 20 minutes. Avoid releasing pressure manually as hot applesauce may splutter up through the vent. Remove the cheesecloth bundle with a slotted spoon and discard.
- Mix brown sugar into the applesauce until dissolved. Taste and adjust the level of sweetness if needed.
- I planned to use this applesauce in cakes so I didn’t want it to be too sweet. Adjust the levels of sweetness and acidity (with lemon juice) to your taste.
- Applesauce freezes well. Just be sure to allow enough headroom as you fill the jar or container, as it will expand when frozen.
Reviews
I like my applesauce more natural tasting so I followed this recipe and only used apples, water and a tsp. of ground cinnamon and it was great.
I loved how fast this recipe cooked and it didn’t even need to be blended, the texture was great! I used apple cider instead of water and maple syrup instead of sugar and it had great flavor!
Loved it! I made this as written with the exception of cutting the sugar back to 1 tablespoon, we like ours a little tart. I used a combination of Honey Crisp and Galla apples. I love how well the ingredients work together. This will be a repeat, thanks for sharing.
1.7.19 I haven’t bought applesauce in a jar for many, many years. We simply prefer homemade, which I usually make in the microwave, but this method is just as easy. The star in this applesauce and the single thing that makes it distinctive and delicious is the star anise. It doesn’t overpower, but it is the first flavor that you taste, and it does make you wonder “…what is that?” I love finding new recipes that I can make in the Instant Pot®, and this will be my go-to recipe in the future. I used MacIntosh apples, and cut back a little on the brown sugar (personal taste preference). Thanks for sharing your recipe, we really enjoyed it.