Homemade applesauce

[pacific breeze]

I picked a big bag full of summer apples from a friend's tree today. Now I just have to make this.

Applesauce

Preparation time: 45 minutes. There is nothing better than homemade applesauce with apples from your own apple trees, and it is so easy to do. If you want chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples. If you prefer smooth apple sauce, run the cooked apples through a food mill.

3 to 4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. Make sure you use a good cooking apple.
4 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler to strip 4 lengths
Juice of one lemon
3 inches of cinnamon stick
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
up to 1/2 cup of white sugar
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yoghurt.

Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

[UndercoverGator]

Good recipe but a lot of steps.

Here's mine, the recipe I can every year.

Pick as many apples as you can stand picking, peeling and coring. Peel and core into a huge cast iron vat and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add just a little water, perhaps a half inch to the bottom of the pan and cook on medium, stirring and mushing at the same time. After they've cooked down add just enough sugar to your own tastes. Different types of apples will render different tasting apple sauce. Water bath can processing the jars ten minutes.

[pacific breeze]

The process is the same. Just the ingredients are a little different. I'm tempted to make it without peeling the apples. I'm also going to add a little freshly grated nutmeg.

[Zee]

My boys will eat applesauce, but we are always pressed for time. I just core the apples, fill with spices and sugar blend, drench with calvados and stick in the oven to bake.

Apples will fall apart and separate from the skin. Voila- lazy applesauce!

[pacific breeze]

Mmm...love Calvaldos, especially on pears.

[UndercoverGator]

Have you ever made applebutter PB?

[pacific breeze]

^^No, I haven't, but I like to eat it.

[Tati]

I've made a very similar recipe leaving the skins on, PB. You'll be pleased to know it works quite well, unless you're serving it to anyone who has an aversion to eating the cooked peel. I make it that way all the time now though, it saves a lot of work.

[pacific breeze]

I've made apple crisp etc. without peeling the apples. Skin doesn't bother me at all, so will do it for sure.