Apple picking has always been a family tradition in my family. So one gorgeous fall day when I was in college, we loaded up the car with my roommates and went apple picking.  We came home and decided to make applesauce, but had no idea how to make it.  I went to school SO long ago, we did have the Internet to quickly pull things up readily on hand.  So we called my mom and she walked up through what she could remember.  Turns out, applesauce is really easy to make.  I’ve combined a couple of recipes so that when you decide to make applesauce, you have a recipe guideline to go by.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apple juice or water
• 4 pounds apples or a combination of apples and pears, cored and cut into wedges.   Some apples and pears are better for cooking than others, but I just used what I had on hand.
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• splash or squirt of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I also used white sugar in one batch)

Directions

• Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat, simmer 45 minutes or until the fruit is tender.  Discard the cinnamon sticks.  Use Foley food mill to mash the fruit up and clean off the skins.  If you do not have a Foley food mill, yo can use the back of a spoon to press the mixture through a sieve.  Discard the skins.

Notes

• Add more or less cinnamon or sugar depending on you taste and the tartness of the apples.  Helpful pieces of equipment include a Foley Food mill or a sieve and an apple slicer.  Applesauce freezes great.