I loved Pumpkin Week so much, I decided to venture out with Apple Week!  As I was brainstorming ideas, I knew I had to include applesauce on the list.  This is actually the first time I’ve ever made applesauce and I have fallen in love.  I looked over several blogs to get an idea of proportions, kind of sugar, etc.  Everyone said the same thing “once you’ve had homemade applesauce, you’ll never go back to the jarred stuff.”  I thought to myself that may be a little extreme, considering that sometimes you just need a quick fix.  But they were all right.  It’s true.  This is so good.  So good.  And it doesn’t even need sugar!!!

I learned a trick this week.  My friend Hanna, who will be writing a guest post this week (yay!), told me that older apples are better for applesauce.  She was so right!  This completely makes sense since banana bread is best with older bananas that sweeten with age, the same principle applies with apples, apparently!  The applesauce I made requires just two ingredients and water, however, that’s because it was eaten within a few days.  If you plan on canning yours, consider including a few squeezes of lemon juice to help in the preserving process.

Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe makes about 2 cups

6-7 older apples I used Gala

4-5 dashes ground cinnamon

1 cinnamon stick optional

1/4C water

Applesauce can be made with the peels still on the apples, but I wanted mine to be an extremely smooth texture.  Plus, a few of my apples were so old I needed to carve out some brown spots, so I peeled mine almost completely.

And diced them to bite size pieces.

Combine apples, cinnamon, and water in a saucepan on medium heat.  If you use a cinnamon stick, be sure to push it down to submerge it under the water.

Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.  Uncover the pot and continue cooking for ten minutes or until the water has evaporated.

For chunky applesauce, mash with a potato masher.  For smooth applesauce, blend in a food processor to desired consistency (which is what I did.)

It’s delicious served hot or cold and will store well for several days in an airtight container.  This is perfect for packed lunches, homemade baby food, or a healthy fall dessert.  Enjoy!

Snack time!