17 Oct Homemade Applesauce

A few weeks ago I was hopeless against the bulk-apple impulse buy.  I saw those beautiful and seasonal apples ready to grab in a paper bag and couldn’t resist. I didn’t know what I was going to do with them or how many were in the bag. I DID know that the person who packed it probably hid a few undesirables in the bottom, but I didn’t care, it was irresistible to buy these crisp delicious symbols of the changing seasons.

I got those beautiful babies home and proudly put them on the counter. Unfortunately, thats where they sat with uncertain fate only to have one or two plucked away during the week for snacks. It wasn’t long before my impulse buy needed to be saved from its mealy destiny. So a project was born: homemade applesauce!

Both of my kids love chopping fruits and veggies (with THESE kid-safe knives!) so they took up their positions at my oversized cutting board and we started chopping. I knew we would be cooking down the apples and it didn’t matter at all how the apples were chopped, so it was the perfect job for my budding sous chefs. Immediately the project was looking like it would simply become snack time, because more apples were making it into my kid’s mouths than the saucepan, but eventually the eating slowed and the saucepan started filling. I wanted to avoid the hassle of peeling the apples, but soon realized I wasn’t going to get away with not – the texture would be too weird. So I peeled, sliced with the apple-cutting tool that only sees action once a year, and the kids roughly chopped the slices. Working together was fun, and we enjoyed spending the morning working with our hands.

It can be nice to find someone to work with on this one, because the labor of this recipe is in the prep. Once the apples are peeled, cored and cut into chunks, you just put the apples in a saucepan and stir once or twice while the cook down. Consider whether you want the sauce really smooth or a little chunky when chopping; bigger chunks will yield the latter. All apples will work. Feel inspired to pick a couple different kinds if you want to add some dimension to the flavor.  I like a tart apple to cut the sweetness a bit. The lemon juice also adds tartness and preserves a lighter color on the final product. I don’t feel like adding any additional sweetener is necessary, but if you do, add maple syrup to your taste. Enjoy!