Applesauce

Mike and I went apple picking with some friends for the first time this fall.  We came home with nearly 20 pounds of apples and plenty of ideas for how to use them!  We picked Pioneer McIntosh apples to make into applesauce.  This is a slightly firmer apple than a regular McIntosh, and it was recommended for applesauce. 

I prefer my applesauce to be a little bit chunky, while Mike prefers his to be completely smooth.  You can easily modify this recipe to meet your preference, just puree the cooked apples in a food processor after cooking to make them smooth. 

This is the easiest recipe ever--seriously, just 1 ingredient!  Can it get any more simple?  Please note that I just shared the number of apples I used to give you an idea of how much applesauce it made.  I really don't even consider this a recipe as you can use any amount of apples to make yours.  Yesterday, I used 40 small McIntosh apples, and it made 22 cups of applesauce.   This recipe is just meant as a guide!

The apples we picked were huge!

Applesauce

Makes 2 quarts

15 large apples (I used Pioneer McIntosh, you can use any combination of baking apples)

1.  Peel and core apples. 

2.  Cut into bite size pieces and place into a large saucepan.

15 apples filled up my saucepan

3.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are soft.

The apples cook down quite a bit though

4.  Using a potato masher, mash apples down to your desired chunkiness.  (If you prefer a smooth applesauce, let apples cool and then puree in a food processor or blender.)

5.  Allow applesauce to cool before placing in storage containers.  I used an old glass applesauce jar to store my applesauce in the fridge and then I put the rest into freezer containers.  Applesauce keeps well in the freezer up to a year, just thaw in the fridge before serving.