Perfect Fall Snack

Fall has to be my favorite season!  I love the cooler weather, the changing leaves, and the delicious fall fruits and vegetables.  Apples are one of my absolute favorite fruits, and the McIntosh is the apple I look forward to eating.  I almost make myself sick eating them!

We have so many apples right now.  The best thing to do with lots of apples is make applesauce and apple pie!  I have a great recipe for applesauce.  You can make it on the stove or in the crock pot.  Either way, it comes out delicious.  If you make applesauce in the crockpot, you do not have to add as much water to the apples, as they retain more of their own liquid.

There are variations of this recipe online.  Probably the closest variation is "Sarah's Applesauce" shown here.  A great crockpot version is found in the "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook."  You can purchase the cookbook at your favorite book store or online.

Here is the recipe I used to make my applesauce:

12-14 apples
2&1/4 cup water
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
1&1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger
juice of 1/2 lemon

Peel, core, and chop the apples.  The easiest way (I think) to peel and core an apple is by removing the skin in a circle around the top and bottom of the apple, then peel in strips down the length of the apple, like this:

Then, halve the apple after it is peeled, then quarter.  The center of the apple is easier to remove when it is cut this way:

When all of the apples are chopped, place them in a large pot with the remaining ingredients.  Stir a little bit to combine all of the flavors with the apples.

Cook the apples over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and mushy.  I like to mash any larger apple pieces with the back of a spoon, but you could use a potato masher or ricer to make the applesauce smooth.  An immersion blender would work great, too!

I put the applesauce in the container in the refrigerator.  It is usually gone in a few days.  I have friends who freeze their applesauce, and some that have canned applesauce.  I haven't tried either of these storage methods, but it would be great to eat fresh-tasting applesauce year-round!

I hope your family enjoys your homemade applesauce!