Does this happen to you? You’re reading a book, or watching a documentary, and something is mentioned in passing, something not really related to the topic at hand, and now you can’t get that “something” out of your mind?
For me, it’s a common occurrence. I was reading The Wild Wisdom of Weeds. A book about weeds, ya know? And author Katrina Blair mentions an event in her town where the community collects apples, makes cider, and uses the pulp in various ways. And one of those ways is to make apple sugar.
Wait. What? Apple sugar? The pulp is dehydrated and then ground to a powder that is used as a natural sweetener.
But what about the seeds?
So I did what everyone does when they want some information. I asked google.
And found nothing.
It was just after apple season last year when I read this, and I’ve been mulling it over waiting for apples again to experiment. I still don’t know how they do it, but I’ve come up with my own way. And I’ve made a sweet and powdery natural sweetener which is oh so yummy.
And a really nice way to use apples when there’re lots around. Like this year. The foraging is fantastic, and the cultivated trees are doing great, as well.
I’m still experimenting with using my apple sugar. It’s really tasty on oatmeal.
And I made an apple crisp using just apple sugar as the natural sweetener. I found that I needed twice as much apple sugar as the regular sugar called for in the recipe; we really enjoyed it.
Apple sugar doesn’t quite dissolve in tea, but I was still surprised by the delicate sweetness it added.
The following recipe creates a raw sugar. I have yet to try to make the apple sugar with apple sauce. I feel pretty certain that it would work just as well, but of course would no longer be a raw sugar, and also would not take advantage of using the skins if the apple sauce is put through a food mill or Squeezo. I’ll let you know how it turns out when I have a chance to try it.
Edited 10-19-15: I made apple sauce this past weekend and used some to make apple sugar. I had a little trouble getting the sauce to spread as thin as I would have liked, so it took longer to dry than my raw apple version. The sugar was also a much lighter color because the skins were not used. Tasted just as lovely.
Apple Sugar
Ingredients
- apples
- water
Instructions
- Wash your apples.
- Quarter and core the apples, but do not peel them.
- Slice the apples into smaller pieces, unless you have a super powerful blender.
- Add your apples to a blender or food processor in small batches. I use a Magic Bullet. Add just enough water to puree the raw apples. I have found that more water is needed with a food processor than with the Magic Bullet.
- Spread the pureed apples very thinly on your dehydrator's fruit leather sheets. Dehydrate at 140°F. You want the puree to dry well beyond the fruit leather stage, until it is crispy. This may take up to 24 hours depending on how much water you had to use as you pureed the apples.
- When the puree is crisp, remove it from the dehydrator and allow to cool.
- Grind the dehydrated puree in a blender until it is powdered. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Thank you for visiting Learning And Yearning. May "the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Num 6:24-26
Melissa says
Ha! Who knew! I’ll definitely be giving this one a try!
Susan Vinskofski says
I think you’ll love it, Melissa!
Deb says
Rely Wow! Will definitely be trying this! Thank you!
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re welcome, Deb!
Chris says
I made apple syrup last year by cooking down apple cider in my slow cooker until it thickened. It took a couple of days and turned very dark. I wonder if you could make apple sugar if you boiled it down further — like maple syrup.
Your way is much easier than my apple syrup.
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh, but that apple syrup sounds devine!
Mark says
I love making apple syrup, too, but I know that as it gets thicker, the solids in the cider can burn. If there’s a way to use a dehydrator to dry out the apple syrup, though, perhaps the resulting product could be processed just like the dried apples in the recipe above. Only one way to find out!
Susan Vinskofski says
Let us know how that turns out, Mark!
Rachel says
I love this! I want to try making it and using it for apple pie.
Susan Vinskofski says
I’d love to hear how that turns out, Rachel. I haven’t tried sweetening pie with it yet.
Kathie Lapcevic says
What a cool idea! I’m thinking now about the pulp leftover after apples have gone through the juicer. I don’t have seeds in that and am going to have to give that a try next season. Thanks so much for this.
Susan Vinskofski says
Yes, Kathie, that should work just fine!
Cherilynne Utton says
I was thinking about that too. The juice would take some of the sweet, the pulp isn’t that sweet, but the pulp could be dried, and the juice evaporated down with boiling, and then the two used together, I bet. I know I’m going to try that. I was thinking carrots and even sweet potatoes too. This post has really got me thinking.
Wilner Etienne says
Hello did you ever try the pulp version?
Julie A says
Hi-
This is an old post, but now we preservers have a great tool- FREEZE DRYING! I’ve made apple juice crystals. FD has its own surprises, though. High fat/high sugar foods may not keep as long, but that’s not a problem here. I have not tried the juice crystals as a sweetener replacement, but to flavor water. FD is a way to keep your produce raw, but concentrated. Check out the FD group on MEWE- good folks!
Susan Vinskofski says
Yes, I’d love to have a freeze drier, but right now, it’s not in the budget. Thanks for sharing your experience with it!!!
maggie says
http://kitchenhistoric.blogspot.ca/2012/05/apple-sugar-1902.html?m=1
This is probably what they were making. Your fruit powder is cool. Use it in straws to make pixie sticks for kids. Dont tell them they are eating fruit.
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh good idea!!!
Laurie says
How did I miss that mention when I read that book? I guess I was focused on the weeds.
This is a neat idea. We have a bunch of crabapples left to harvest, so I know where some of them are going.
Susan Vinskofski says
Let me know how this works with crabapples, Laurie!
Krista says
I had some apples and I have done about everything that I know to do with apples already so this is a great idea. I have some in the dehydrator right now. Thanks for the recipe.
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re welcome, Krista. Thanks for stopping by.
Terry says
I’m going to try this, but will dehydrate at less than 118° so the product remains a living food. I think it will be interesting to sprinkle on raw cookies.
Susan Vinskofski says
Terry, it’s my understanding that food will remain raw under 118° when cooking liquid on a stovetop. With dry heat, you can go up to 150° and the product will remain raw. 🙂
Louise says
My mom used to make apple sugar and used it exclusively for making jams and jellies. Apparently pectin levels are high in apple sugar. I’m gonna hafta try making the sugar and see if I can duplicate my mother’s jam and jelly success with it. Thanks so much for the recipe and for rekindling a forgotten memory!
Susan Vinskofski says
I’d love to hear more, Louise!
Lorinda-The Rowdy Baker says
Oh, that makes perfect sense. What a great use for the apple sugar.
donna a says
I LOVE THAT IDEA!!!!! I have been looking for ways to make jam without juice or sugar and the apple sugar idea to it is terrific! I cannot wait to make it! Thanks for sharing that. (What a smart Mom!)
Helena says
I don’t have the fruit leather sheets, can the apples be dried on a cookie sheet in the oven?
Susan Vinskofski says
That should work just fine, Helena, but be sure to keep the temperature as low as possible, and spread the puree very thin. With higher temps, the outside may dry out while the inside remains wet.
Kristel Wiesner says
This is what I love about your blog! Always something new and creative.
Susan Vinskofski says
Such a sweet thing to say; thank you, Kristel!!!
Karen says
Wow, this sounds SO delicious! And looks super easy to make. Who knew? I’m definitely going to have to give it a try!!! Thanks so much!!
Susan Vinskofski says
Thanks, Karen. Glad you stopped by!
Adriana says
I love this idea! I have almost unlimited access to apples that go unpicked in my little rural community, I’ll have to try this out. I bet it’s perfect in a tea.:)
Susan Vinskofski says
It’s a great way to use those apples, Adriana!
Hilda says
I make sugar just from the skins of organic pears, apples etc. I just dry them and then grind them into a powder. The result seems to be very much like yours and it is so easy.
Susan Vinskofski says
That’s a great idea, Hilda! Next time I bake a pie and peel apples, I’ll do the same.
Joyce says
I have already experienced a shortage of sugar for sale. This is a wonderful backup. Can you list ways to use it. Thx for sharing.
grasshopper says
What is the difference between your apple sugar and powdered dehydrated apples?
Susan Vinskofski says
I haven’t heard of powdered dehydrated apples, but it sounds like the same thing to me.
Lorinda-The Rowdy Baker says
I’m so excited about this idea! I’m hoping I can still get apples from the nearby orchard. Mine have all been turned into applesauce! Bet it would be delicious on oatmeal.
Susan Vinskofski says
You’ll love it!!!
David says
Great idea for a sugar that has all the nutrients of the apple.
Another idea that would probably allow it to fully dissolve is to juice the apple. Then evaporate it as as they do cane juice (ie Sucanat or evaporated cane juice). There was a sugar cane field where we lived in South Africa as a kid.
Belle says
Just so you know, you don’t want to use the seeds, as they are poisonous if continually eaten. 🙂
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/are-apple-seeds-poisonous#Overview1
Caio says
Concentrate Juice of Apple is used in the industry to sweeten other juices and was wondering in my mind if it is possible to produce the powder for that… And I found you. Thanks.
Susan Greer says
Love this post! I feel the same way about a jar of cider jelly I received from a friend… there’s no recipe anywhere to make it! I figure you just boil the cider down for basically forever 😉 but still, I’d love to find a recipe… especially one from the pioneer days, which would be fun!
Brandy Stauffer says
I found a really great recipe for cider jelly it’s at http://www.goodfoodstories.com/apple-cider-jelly/ and yes it’s traditionally made by boiling cider for forever this one (and many others I found) uses low/no sugar pectin and a small amount (if any) of sugar compared to the tons that are in other recipes.
Kelly says
I have used Parchment Paper instead of Fruit Leather Sheets it works very well.
Tammy says
Thanks for this tip Kelly!
Tammy says
Susan – I love your site and I think I was meant to find you here! I was rereading the “Creating Abundance” section of “The Wild Wisdom of Weeds” and wanted to learn different ways to prepare apple sugar… and here I am.
I have only been to this page so far and already found a useful tip on an alternative to fruit leather drying sheets (from co-commentor, Kelly.) I too am on a journey to reconnect to my humanity, to discover my indigenous self by embracing “Mitakuye Oyasin” as a guiding principle for my life.
Thank you Susan, y mucho gusto!
Tammy
Mendocino Coast, California
Susan Vinskofski says
Thanks for stopping by, Tammy, and for the kind words!
Dawn says
We have a freeze dryer and I think it would work perfectly for this.
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh, yes. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Rob G. says
Who has a freeze dryer? Lol. AWESOME!
lynnette a higgins says
I am curious about the sugar content concerning diabetics…I am considered pre-diabetic so have given up sugar… this would taste great on oatmeal or dry cereal…not sure what amount would equal an apple.
Susan Vinskofski says
Great question; I think you’d have to keep track of how many apples you dehydrate and then divide the final amount of sugar by number of apples.
Laney says
I have a lot of food intolerances/allergies and health problems that don’t allow any traditional cane sugar (and the like) in my diet. This recipe is just genius and I wanted to thank you for sharing your recipe with us, it’s truly a gift!
P.S. do you think that a pure mango “sugar” could be made with this recipe?
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re very welcome! All I can say is, give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Debby Flores says
Susan,
If you can do this with apples, I’m thinking it might be possible to do this with sweet strawberries or even peaches. Have you tried it with any other fruits?
Susan Vinskofski says
I’ve only used apples, Debby, but I don’t see why other fruits wouldn’t work!
Alice says
I like this idea but I think I’d rather try it with pears since they seem to be sweeter than apples? bigger yield?
Susan Vinskofski says
Sounds like an amazing idea!!
Jamie says
This may be the coolest thing I’ve read in YEARS! I am so excited to try this. You mentioned in tea it doesn’t dissolve, but what’s your experience with coffee? Have you replace cane sugar with apple sugar? Thank you fir the tip. I am looking forward to this home make
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Jamie! The apple sugar doesn’t dissolve in any hot liquid, but can still add a sweetness to it. You do need to stir more often to bring the “sugar” up from the bottom. I like to use it for things like apple crisp, or even pies. It is not as sweet as sugar, of course, and its sweetness depends on the apples used. I do still use cane sugar. Just experiment and see what you like!
AnnMarie Lewellyn says
Another great recipe to add to my sugars! Thanks for sharing on the Farm Fresh Blog Hop!
Priya says
This is all sorts of awesome! I make sugar scrubs at home and this is such a great idea for a fall scrub. Thanks so much!
Heidi says
I am excited to try. I am wondering if sugar can be pulled from other fruit in a similar manner? I have read to mix fruit with raw cane sugar but that’s not what I want. Do you know if it can be done with different fruits as well?
Pamela Donahue says
Hi! I just downloaded your Apple Sugar recipe, sounds wonderful. I have a very sweet tooth and don’t like the sweeteners that grocery stores carry. I want to try this out and see if it does any better than regular sugar. Thanks!
Anita Bishop says
Wonderful idea! We have an organic orchard down the road and they let me pick unripe apples, I use them in every preserve or jam I make, use half the sugar and a peeled grated green apple in place of the pectin, yes I do have to cook down a bit more, but I feel it is much healthier and you taste the fruit not all the sugar! I will be trying this for sure. Thanks, glad I just found you!
Terri says
I saw someone else post that you could dehydrate apple slices, and then grind those into a powder to make “apple sugar.” To me, that sounds like an easier process than pureeing apples and then drying the puree. Have you ever heard of this method, or tried it? Is there any reason you can think of that this wouldn’t work, provided you dried the apple slices until they are crispy (rather than simply dry-but-pliable)?
dalelyn butterfield says
I tried the apple slice way and I could never get them to dry out enough. So dried apples to snack on. The next batch I just through the raw apples in the blender I did core them but I left the peels on and just turned them into well blended apples sauce. I added a touch of water when needed. Next I spread THIN layers on my trays and it took 24 hours until they got crispy. I had a few trays that I put to much in and they took longer . Then I got every thing ready so that I just had to peel the apples off the trays and let them cool for about 15 then into the blender. So a little effort and I got this wonderful jar of golden goodness.
Leon San Martin says
Is apple sugar good for you or is it unhealthy for you
Susan Vinskofski says
As with most things, moderation is important. It’s no different than eating an apple, but eating a lot of apples wouldn’t be prudent either.
Maria says
Amazing!!!! thank you sharing wishing you be blessed .
Eric Lam says
Hi Susan, If we have large volume of third- grade apple and pear, can we make these fruits to sugar? Are apple and pear s’ sugar good for health?
Can you let me know how to make these fruits to organic sugar? We have some idea to mix the fruit waste (after making to sugar)to organic fertilizer .
Thanks,
Eric Lam
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Eric, following the instructions in the post above should yield you some very nice apple or pear sugar! Since the fruit is now concentrated, you would want to limit how much you consume. Even too much fresh fruit can be harmful.
Anna says
What type of apples would you recommend for making this sugar?
Susan Vinskofski says
Since we often forage apples, we use whatever we can get. But the sweetest apples will make the sweetest sugar, of course. So I suggest Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious apples.
Jean Harris says
Hello Susan. Thanks for sharing this information re: making apple sugar. This the 1st time I ever heard this was a possibility. I have several questions: #1. I don’t have a dehydrator. My electric wall oven cannot be lowered below 2.50 degrees. Would that temperature be too high to dry my purée of apples? #2 I have apples which I have sprinkled with sugar and packaged in different portions—then frozen. Do you think I could dehydrate them? Thank you for your generous sharing of such valuable information.
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Jean, if you are very careful, your oven at 250°F may work. You will have to keep an eye on things and stir frequently to be sure they don’t burn. And yes, the apples from your freezer would work, but I would puree them first.
April Mic says
I happened upon this recipe after getting to the last little bit of Musselman’s apple sugar that I found in Walmart last year. I originally purchased it as a way to limit my sugar intake. It is almost gone and now cannot find it in stores of course! Well, i found it available on Amazon, but i didn’t want to pay the huge mark up price, about $27 for 2 bottles…but were about $6 in store. I thought that it couldn’t be too hard to duplicate that slightly sweet flavor that i have come to love and found this easy sounding recipe. I am going to give this a try and save some money in the process. Then i can make it more often. It sounds simple and easy. Thank you!
Susan Vinskofski says
Wow, I had no idea that apple sugar was sold in stores. I love that, but yes, the expense can certainly be prohibitive!
Julie S says
I’ve never heard of apple sugar. Every year I’m overloaded with apples from our generous tree. Looking forward to trying this!
Susan Vinskofski says
Enjoy!!!
Sarah Reid says
I know this is many years old, but to use the pomace (leftovers from cider) without the seeds and stems, just run the pomace through a food mill.
Susan Vinskofski says
What a great idea; thank you!!!
Cindy Pye says
I’ve been looking for a sweetener that will work for our family. Due to certain sensibilities, we can’t use stevia or any of the other recommended substitutes. We can only use a bit of honey or maple syrup, but I’ve been looking for another natural sweetener that I can use in recipes; preferably in powder form. I’m so excited to find your website and this method! Thank you for sharing!
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re so welcome. Also, if you haven’t already tried coconut sugar, that is a good one for me as well.
Vlasta Málková says
That’s great. It didn’t occur to me, even though our ancestors made a sweetener from pears, the so-called “pracharanda” which they sprinkled on porridge etc. (I’m from the Czech Republic) I sometimes make it myself. The apple version sounds good and I will definitely give it a try. Thank you.