I have always run mine through a food mill, never done any chunky or any other way since the smooth texture is very important to us. Same goes for any 'sauce' be it apple, tomato, pear etc. I can't picture a food processor sauce being nearly as smooth as a milled (sieved) sauce would be.

I suppose I could argue that sieved sauce would taste better than chunky since the smaller particles could better absorb and distribute the added flavors of the sugar and spices. But I have no basis for comparison.

All you can do is do some of both and see which you prefer.

Dave

I do the same as you Dave. Another plus to using a food mill is that I don't have to peel and core everything like,apples, tomatoes, pears etc. I just wash, check for bad spots, and throw them in the handy crock pot.

When they get soft I run them through the food mill and return them to the crock pot! I love my food mill better than any kitchen gadget that I have ever had!

I don't sieve and we prefer the apples that way, though the variety we use breaks down into a mainly smooth sauce on its own.

However, I usually use windfalls for applesauce, so I'm peeling, coring and cutting out bruised spots before cooking.

I never add spices unless I'm making apple butter. In that case, of course I do sieve.

Carol

Here is the way I do mine but I agree with what Dave says - try it and taste.

IMO apple butter should be as smooth as, well, butter. I cook the 4 or 5 varieties together (peeled and cored with a little water added) until just soft, then put them in the food mill for a better mixture and smaller "lumpiness". After spices, sugar and more cooking down to about 1/2, I put cups of the mixture into the blender on puree then back into the pot for final heating before canning (with a screen over it because it tends to volcano at the end). The food processor may or may not give you a consistently smooth butter.

Applesauce is cooked the same but since I don't put in any sugar or spices, it goes through the food mill and back to the pot for heating before canning. A little more lumpiness here is nice for applesauce. IMHO

Nancy