Cooking with Farm Fresh Produce: Simple Applesauce

We are starting apple season in California. And no, I don’t mean those iProducts. Becoming a localvore, I’ve been getting a few different types of apples in my weekly fresh fruits and veggies box. For some reason, the boys didn’t gobble them all up and I had a few left of each kind and they were starting to look a little sad. So when life gives you organic apples needing cheering up, you make applesauce.

Simple Applesauce

About 4 lbs of peeled, cored and roughly cubed apples (I used about 7 medium Gala and golden delicious apples)
1 cup water
1/4 cup organic brown sugar *Optional (if you opt out of the sugar cut the lemon juice in half)
Lemon juice from 1/2 very ripe lemon
2 thumb length strips of lemon peel  (just use your peeler to get just the yellow part)
1 cinnamon stick
a pinch of salt

Drop everything in a pot and simmer away until most of the apples break down into that familiar looking applesauce texture, about 25 minutes. Stir every so often. Let cool a bit and remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. I used a fork to mash up the last large pieces of apple that were there.  The sauce freezes well and has so many delicious uses. Remember you can use smooth applesauce in place of oil in most cakes and cupcakes.

This is such an easy recipe and I hope you try it instead of throwing those imperfect apples away. Besides, you’ll get the added benefit of having a house that smells just as delicious as the sauce tastes.

Enjoy.