Growing up in the North, we had several fruit trees in the back yard. Peach, pear, and my favorite … apple! Mom would always send my brother and I outside with our baskets to collect all the Macintosh apples we could scoop up. We would make big batches of homemade applesauce, freeze it, and eat from the containers year around. So of course, now that I have my own three little ones at home, I try to carry on the tradition by making this delicious treat each year. It’s not quite as good as my mamas yet … but I am working on it. Here is her recipe if you want to try it on your own. I promise, it’s so much better than store bought!
STEP 1:
- Wash and cut apples into quarters. Do not worry about removing the seeds.
STEP 2:
- Place about 30 apples in large pan with water and boil until apples are soft and mushy. My mom swears by Macintosh Apples for applesauce. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart. (Do not throw your water away yet!)
STEP 3:
- Over a big bowl, smash apples and strain them in apple colander. (refer to picture) Once you strain, throw away the skins and seeds.
STEP 4:
- Into your bowl of applesauce, add 1-1.5 cups of sugar (depending on the level of sweetness you prefer) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Also add back in some of that water you used to boil the apples. I use about 1 cup because I don’t like thick applesauce.
STEP 5:
- Stir, cool, and eat! Unless you are feeding 30 people, you will need to freeze whatever you won’t eat immediately. Yum!