making applesauce

It's still apple season! And one of the simplest (perhaps obvious) things to do when there are lots of apples on hand is make a big batch of applesauce!

About a year ago while experimenting with apples that had to be used up, I came up with a healthful (not oversweet) variety of applesauce that we love to eat plain or incorporate into other (especially sweet bread) recipes.

I start with a big pan full of apples. I used mostly the Golden Delicious variety yesterday:

After washing the apples, I cut them into eighths and then peel each section. (Being health-conscious and frugal, I hate to peel apples – so I sometimes boil the peels in about two cups of water, making an apple drink. But I digress...)

I add one cup of 100% juice to the pan, put on the lid, and then simmer the apples on the stove (on a low setting for about an hour), checking the apples occasionally and stirring and mashing them – since the ones on the bottom cook first. It's always fun to note how much "juice" accumulates in the pan, having started with only one cup! (Incidentally, I've used Kiwi Strawberry Juice the last two times – since that's what I've had on hand. The result is quite tasty, and the juice blend is apple-juice based anyway.)

When the apples are thoroughly cooked and mashed, I uncover the pan to allow them to cool. Then, when the applesauce has thoroughly cooled, I package it up for the fridge or freezer, depending on the quantity.

Yesterday's pan full of apples yielded about 15 cups of pure applesauce!

Yum!