Will cooking the apples with peels and cores leave a bitter aftertaste? I just made applesauce with a foodmill and it has a bitter aftertaste. Is...

...that from the skins/cores? Would it be less noticeable if I roasted the apples instead of simmered (such as this recipe suggests)? Or would it be best to remove the core/seeds from the apples first

ajpelle
  • Posted by: ajpelle
  • October 7, 2013
  • 8831 views
  • 8 Comments
Roasted Apple Butter
Recipe question for: Roasted Apple Butter

8 Comments

KJ
KJ November 7, 2022
I just made apple sauce and it tastes acidic! I did not use the seeds but I did leave the peels on. I am wondering if my apples were getting to old to use apple cider vinegar in making it!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames October 8, 2013
I made this recipe using tart hard apples from my neighbor's tree, seeds and all, with no problem. Interestingly, some of the apples had brown pits on them similar to what others have described. I had a taste of one of those apples and it (the regular white part of the apple that one typically eats) was bitter, so I just left those apples out. I'm really glad, now, that I did. You may be able to mask the bitterness with cinnamon and cloves, by the way, and a couple tablespoons of dark brown sugar. You have nothing to lose by trying. ;o)
 
Bevi
Bevi October 8, 2013
That is interesting. I have a tree of Macs and another local variety I believe is called Orleans Reine. I quarter the apples, add seeds and all, and then process through a food mill. I have never experienced a bitter taste. The bitterness might be associated with some varieties and not others.
 
petitbleu
petitbleu October 8, 2013
That's interesting. I always make apple butter by cutting the apples into cubes, leaving the peel, core, and seeds intact, and running it through a food mill at the end. I've never experienced this problem, but then again I've never tried using Jonagolds or Golden Delicious. Learn something new every day.
 
megabals
megabals October 7, 2013
The best part about a food mill is that you don't need to peel and core apples for applesauce. Certain varieties - Golden Delicious, Jonagold are susceptible to 'bitter pit' - a physiological disorder thought to be caused by calcium deficiency that imparts a bitter taste the apple. Signs of bitterpit are small brown 'pits' on the skin - but if the apples are fresh rather than having come out of storage, the symptoms may not yet be obvious.
 
ajpelle
ajpelle October 7, 2013
Thanks megabals. I did use a fair number of Jonagolds and they came from an old and not-kept-after tree. I'll sample some of the apples that have spots and see if this is it. Otherwise, bake to coring the apples for me.
 
carswell
carswell October 7, 2013
I also suspect the bitterness is coming from the seeds. I always core apples before making sauce or anything else and I've never experienced any bitterness.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 7, 2013
i suspect it could be the seeds... in general you do not want to use core and seeds in cooking.
 
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