Applesauce

My grandfather gave us a gigantic bushel of apples this year, so I've been trying to make as many apple recipes as I can to use them up.

Making your own applesauce is much easier than you would think. It freezes really well, you can control the taste and its cheaper than store bought. Ontario apples are everywhere in the grocery stores right now, so take advantage of our great produce and make yourself some applesauce today!

You will need:
3 pounds of Apples (You can use any mixture of sweet apples: Cortland, Golden Delicious, Gala, McIntosh, etc.)
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Water
Juice from ½ a Lemon

Core the apples, and cut them into one inch chunks, leaving the skins on.

Toss the apples into a large saucepan

Add the sugar.

Add the cinnamon. This is one of the best parts of homemade apple sauce, because the kitchen just gets this great apple pie smell as the apples and cinnamon cook together. Yum!

Add in the water and lemon and give it a stir, combining everything together well. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes. The apples should be tender and broken up.

To make a nice puree, I use an old food mill that has been in my family forever. All the baby food my mother made for us went through this sucker, and its still in great shape. You can get them at most cooking stores for about $20-40. If you don't have a food mill, you can use a potato masher instead for a chunkier sauce.

Run the apple chunks through the food mill, and discard the skins. Return to the saucepan, and simmer for another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Adjust season with sugar, cinnamon or lemon juice.

I just love the rosy colour that you get from cooking it with the skins on.

This applesauce is great warm or chilled. I also like to use it in recipes as a substitute to oil when I am trying to make something lighter. I hope you enjoy this easy Fall treat!

Printable Version