Applesauce Recipe

Pan size: large pot Prep. time: 45 minutes Cooking time: simmer 25 to 30 minutes Servings: about 4 cups

There is nothing better than homemade applesauce with your hand-picked apples. To make chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples. To make smooth apple sauce, run the cooked apples through a food mill. Big key is adding a few strips of lemon peel to the apples while cooking. The lemon heightens the apple flavor.

The sugar amounts are just guidelines, depending your taste, and on the sweetness of your apples, use less or more. If you use less sugar, you'll likely want to use less lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the apples and balances the sweetness.

4 pounds of peeled, cored, and quartered apples.
4 strips of lemon peel, you can use a vegetable peeler to make the strips
juice of one lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons
3 inches of cinnamon stick or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/8 to 1/4 cup of white sugar or splenda - less or more sugar to taste
1 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt

The cinnamon is optional. Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove cooked apples from the heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash apples with potato masher.

The Apple sauce is ready to serve, either hot or chilled in the refrigerate.

Homemade applesauce is delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt. Store in an air tight containers. Homemade applesauce freezes easily on zip lock bags or freezer containers, lasts up to 8 months in a the freezer.