Applesauce

I've run into a number of people who have asked me how to make applesauce.  It's so simple that no one should be deprived of such knowledge.  And the taste is far superior to the nasty, grainy stuff they sell at the grocery store!  All you need to make applesauce is a large pot, a bunch of peeled, cored, sliced apples, and perhaps a bit of water.  Depending on how sweet your apples are, you can add sugar and cinnamon.  For a bit of variety, you can add red hot candies to your cooked applesauce instead, and allow them to melt...the applesauce turns pink and has that spicy cinnamon flavor to it.  Try this--it's so easy and SO good!!

Ingredients:

Apples, any variety
Sugar (optional)
cinnamon
water

Cook time: varies--can cook on the stove top or in a crock pot.

Start out by choosing a lot of apples that you want to make into sauce.  I used these honeygold apples from my friend's trees.

Next, peel the apples.  If you're lucky enough, you'll have one of those peel/core/slice devices that clamp to the counter.  I never liked mine, so I simply use a hand-held peeler and go to work on the apples.

I then slice/core the apples with my apple slicer.

At this point go ahead and toss the peeled apple slices into your cooking container of choice. I tend to make my applesauce on the stovetop.  I feel that my pots can hold far more applesauce than my crockpot can, and I tend to make things in bulk.

It never hurts to add about a half cup of water to the apples before you start cooking them.  This way they won't stick to the bottom of the pot when they begin to cook, before the juices start flowing. Go ahead and add a little water, then cover your pot and turn the stove on medium heat.  (If using a crock pot, turn it on low and let it cook away!)

After a short while, you'll notice that there are some bubbles forming in the pot.  At this point, you want to turn the heat down to a simmer.  You can remove the lid to stir from time to time, but always replace the lid while the apples continue to simmer and cook down.

Toward the end of the cooking time, when you stir the apples, they completely fall apart and turn into sauce.  If you don't care for chunky applesauce, continue to cook a bit longer (add a little water if you feel your applesauce is too thick) or blend into the consistency you like, using an immersion blender or a regular blender.  I am perfectly happy having a few lumps in my applesauce, so I don't do any extra blending.

Go ahead and add any sugar and cinnamon to your liking, being sure to thoroughly mix it in.  Serve warm or cold!