Incredible Homemade Applesauce

I grew up in the Midwest where apples were plentiful! I remember, back in the good old days, paying $2.00 a bushel to "top" the apple trees (that means picking the apples in the top of the tree). While the price of apples has certainly gone up, my love for a tart, crunchy apple with a little salt, fresh squeezed apple cider, homemade apple pie, and last but not least, Incredible Applesauce, has not diminished!

When the kids were little, I bought Mott's Natural Unsweetened Applesauce and made homemade applesauce once in a great while, as a treat. But now that I've perfected my homemade applesauce, I look for a sale on Granny Smith apples, usually in October or November, buy up a bunch, and make lots of Homemade Applesauce!

This year I found large Granny Smith apples at Pro Ranch Market. They were on sale on one of their 'Wednesday Produce Sales' at 2lbs/$1.00. I ended up purchasing 24 pounds.

I have found that working with 6 pounds of apples at a time works best for me. While you could peel your apples by hand, using a peeler, corer, slicer combo works the absolute best.



HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

6 pounds of tart apples

Juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 - 3/4 cups or more of packed brown sugar (begin with the lesser amount, you can always add more, to taste).

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon sea salt

• Peel, core and slice apples.

• 6 pounds of tart apples, juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup of water.
• Cook apples in Covered Dutch oven, simmer for the first 20 minutes on MEDIUM-LOW.

• Add 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sea salt.
• Stir bringing bottom apples to the top.
• Reduce heat a notch and cook uncovered on low simmer, stirring every 10 minutes.

• As apples cook down, add water 1/4 cup at a time to keep bottom from scortching.
• How long you simmer your sauce will depend on how soft you want your apples.
• I simmered my applesauce for 30 more minutes.

• How much brown sugar you add depends on your taste.
• After tasting, I added 1/4 cup more of brown sugar and 1/4 cup more water to keep applesauce juicy.

Homemade Applesauce . . . buttery apple goodness, flecked with cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Serve up hot or cold as a side with pork loin or pork chops, over ice cream, in oatmeal or baked in muffins or cake.

Spoon sauce in freezer containers.

6 pounds of apples equals 5 pints of Homemade Applesauce-- label and date.

Cooled and ready for the freezer.

I have such wonderful memories of eating homemade applesauce at my Gram's house. There's something really special about "cooking up memories" and continuing the tradition of Homemade Applesauce.

3 more batches of Homemade Applesauce still to go! It's smelling totally awesome . . . Over at Julie's!!!

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