Applesauce in the Classroom

Why should I make applesauce in the classroom?

I’m so glad you asked! There are so many amazing and relevant apple activities to do with little learners, that I would recommend planning at least two weeks for apples. This theme allows for many informational text and science opportunities, but I like to end an apple unit with making applesauce in the classroom! And guess what? Not only is it fun, but it’s a great time for me to introduce recipe writing, which is developmentally appropriate and purposeful! The students love participating in helping to make the applesauce and then enjoy the fruits of their labor at the end, when they get to eat it!

What you need for making applesauce in the classroom

I have made applesauce in the classroom with my students many times and have tried different things. Here are some tips that may work for you!

• Crockpot or Insta-Pot
  • I have used both and prefer the Insta-Pot for obvious reasons…it takes less time. But if you choose to use the Crockpot, make sure you get it started right away, so it is cooked and ready to eat at the end of the day.
• 8-10 Apples (choose your favorite kind)
  • I have an apple peeler/corer/slicer and that makes it easy to prep the apples, but I have been known to ask a grown-up volunteer to pre-prep the apples and send them in to the class. *~Tip: I have tried hand peeling, cutting and coring in the classroom, but it takes way too much time. Just my opinion.
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 -1 cup sugar (you can adjust to your preference or measure with your heart!)
• 2-3 tsps Cinnamon (adjust to your preference)
• Small cups and spoons for tasting!

Interactive Writing with Applesauce Recipe

Since the students and I have been talking and learning about apples, they are familiar with applesauce being made from apples. They may not know the exact recipe, but when I tell them we are going to make our own, they get so ecstatic! I have the ‘bones’ or template of this recipe card already added to my anchor chart. I give each student their own recipe card and a clipboard. This allows for all students to sit in the whole-group area and participate and write the recipe.

We work through each part of the recipe, starting with the ingredients. It is your choice to use inventive or correct spelling. The students follow along, adding to their recipe card. At the same time, I am following our recipe and actually ‘making’ the recipe. We finish our recipe and the insta-pot goes on, cooking our applesauce. I allow the applesauce to cool and at the end of the day, I add a little applesauce to each cup, along with a spoon. Each student gets one (unless there are dietary restrictions). It’s always fun to see which students like the applesauce and which ones do not. After our applesauce tasting, we pull our applesauce recipe card back out and finish up with our review and snapshot picture.

Want the recipe card for your students?