My husband, who grew up on a farm, transforms himself every autumn into a pioneer wife. I find him standing in front of the stove canning and pickling, and making this delicious applesauce with a recipe so easy that now our kids have started to get into the act, too.
12 medium McIntosh apples
1 cup apple juice or water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
HOW IT'S MADE:
Wash, peel, core and slice the apples, then place in a large pot. Add the apple juice or water. Cook over medium heat until soft. Remove from the stove and let cool. For a fine sauce, mash with a potato masher. Add sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, and mix. Freeze in plastic containers, or pour into jars decorated with a handmade apple sticker and give out to your favorite friends.
PINK APPLESAUCE:
This is just as easy to make as its colorless counterpart. Just leave the skins on during cooking. Then, after adding the lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon, press the apples through a sieve or food mill and let cool.
APPLESAUCE FRUIT LEATHER:
Spread aluminum foil in the bottom of a baking pan and pour a very thin layer of applesauce on top. Set your oven on the lowest temperature, prop the door open slightly with a stick or piece of rolled aluminum foil, then cook for 8 to 10 hours. As the applesauce dehydrates, it turns into fruit leather that can be peeled (when warm, but not too hot) from the foil. Roll it up in waxed paper until you're ready to snack.
APPLE BUTTER:
This is what happens when you take applesauce to the Great Beyond. To make some, you'll need 10 peeled, cored apples, cut into 1-inch chunks, 1 cup apple cider, and 2 teaspoons apple pie spice. Place the apples in a large saucepan with the cider. Cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes over low heat until the apples are soft. Cool, divide into two batches, and puree each in a food processor or blender. Pour all the pureed fruit into a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish, sprinkle with apple pie spice, and stir well. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until your apple butter is deep brown and thick. Cool and scoop it into a clean jar with a sealable lid. It will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator.
FAMOUS APPLE FARMER
John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, traveled hundreds of miles barefoot to tend his apple orchards, even in winter.
the stove canning and pickling, and making this delicious applesauce with a recipe so easy that now our kids have started to get into the act, too.
