'Tis the season -- Applesauce

 

 

 

 

This time of year the garden is dying back, turning colors and the apples are ready to pick when they turn mostly or all red and that is usually the same time the evenings start to cool down.  It has been a long, dry summer that is still lingering on.  In previous years our small Jonathan apple tree has been ready for harvesting before now.  This year we just finished picking them a couple of days ago.  It is always a challenge to get the majority of the apples picked before the birds and squirrels, who have been harvesting before the apples are completely ripe, knock down all the good ones.  We sort, count, separate into Good, Medium, and Flawed categories, and set some good ones aside to share.  This year we had 180 apples with probably 20 or 30 more going to the wildlife.  Instead of tossing out flawed apples we cut out the bad parts and use the good sections for applesauce.  We leave the partially eaten or pecked downed apples for a few days to see if the animals and birds will finish dining. The remains, cores, peels, and pieces on the ground, go into the city compost bin.  The medium and good quality apples we use for pie filling.  The applesauce is a simple recipe, originally from a 1963 McCall’s Cookbook, page 280.

 

 

 

 

Applesauce

 

½ cup water

7 ½ to 8 cups of pared, cored, and quartered fresh apples

½ cup sugar

 

Bring the ½ cup water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the prepared apples.  Bring apples and water back to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 min or until the apples are the consistency that you desire.  Remove the pot from the heat, add the ½ cup sugar and mix.  Any core pieces that got in by mistake will turn dark and can be easily scooped out with a spoon.  Pour the cooked sauce into freezer containers, 2 cup size or smaller, and freeze.

 

 

 

After the apples are added to the boiling water, reduce the heat, cover and simmer.  Stir occasionally and watch the pot frequently to avoid a boil over onto the stove top. 
 

 

To make spiced applesauce:  add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg with the sugar.  Mix thoroughly. 

 

 

 

Sample of the the finished product.   When using about 8 cups of cored, peeled, and quartered apples and containers that hold 2 cups, the yield is 2 containers of applesauce. 

 

The applesauce can be enjoyed warm or cold, with or without cream.