Homemade Applesauce

Class 1

Materials Needed

  • Brown and green construction paper

  • Red paint

  • Tray or lid

  • Bottle caps

  • Glue

  • Thick white paper

Purpose: I think it is important for students to understand that lots of their favorite foods and snacks have the potential to be made at home. Homemade versions often involve fewer processed ingredients and are typically healthier overall. By preparing food ourselves, we gain a clear understanding of exactly what we're consuming. To help students become more aware of the ingredients in their diet and how they impact their health, I want to start off this unit with an engaging activity. We'll start by comparing the ingredient lists of various store-bought applesauces with the ingredients in a homemade applesauce recipe. This hands-on comparison will highlight the differences and help students appreciate the benefits of knowing what's in their food. This class is all about introducing the idea of home cooking and how we will approach making the applesauce ourselves. We will end class with a craft where we make our own little apple trees to take home.

Instructions:

  1. Warm-Up: Start class with a read-aloud book titled Leaves to introduce the topic of Fall (Leaves)

  2. Compare the ingredients in store-bought applesauce with a homemade recipe, and use this to explain that the following week we will be making healthy applesauce in classroom

  3. Have the students make their own apple trees out of construction paper and paint

    • Prior to the students arriving, cut the brown construction paper into tree trunk and branch sized strips, and cut the green construction paper into leaves

    • Hand out the thick white paper, trunks & branches, leaves, and glue to the students and have them start assembling their trees

    • Place a tray on each table with some red paint and have the students use the flat side of bottle caps (or pointer fingers for some more messy fun) to add apples to their trees

    • The apples will stay wet for some time so finding an empty shelf to let their masterpieces dry can be helpful

    • You can do so many different variations of this depending on the age of the students!

Class 2

Ingredients Needed

  • 10 apples

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • ¾ cup of water

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • Peeler

  • Blender

  • Cups & spoons for serving

  • Cutting boards & kid-friendly knives

Purpose: During this class students will have the chance to learn to make applesauce. I love hands-on cooking activities and I want to give them as much experience as I can with cooking and the different tools involved with the process. I will call students up to my table to have them help, and individuals who are waiting for their turn will work on a coloring sheet.

Instructions:

  1. Wash and peel the apples before the students arrive

  2. Have students sit at one table and work on a coloring sheet while they wait to be called up for their turn to help make the applesauce (Fall/September Theme)

  3. Set out four cutting boards and four knives and a big bowl in the middle

  4. Call students up four at a time, give them about half an apple, and have them cut the apple in small pieces (diced) and put it into the bowl in the center of the table

  5. Once each student has had a turn cutting the apples, heat your water on the stove and add the apple pieces to it

  6. Allow students to come up and watch the rest of the cooking process

  7. Add the cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon to the water and apples and let it all cook for 5-10 minutes (until the apples soften)

  8. Let the apples cool a little and then add the mixture to a blender (I prefer some apple chunks so I just use the pulse setting to make sure I don’t over blend)

  9. I add the lemon juice before blending because it helps prevent your applesauce from browning

  10. Serve the applesauce into the cups and let the student enjoy their homemade recipe!