Last week when I was visiting with my sister, Laurie, she told me that she was making applesauce from apples from her Lodi tree. That sounded so good! Yesterday she posted directions on how to make her Awesome Applesauce. She inspired me to get some apples and make applesauce.
We don’t have apple trees, but I found Lodi apples at Peter’s Market in Waverly, MO. I agree with Laurie, that these apples make the very best applesauce – and apple pies, apple crisp, etc. When we were growing up, we used Transparent apples, which are similar in taste and texture.
Laurie and I make our applesauce about the same. To save time, I use an apple corer to remove the center of the apple.
Then I slice the apples up.
Put the apples in a heavy pan, with a small amount of water, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
I use a vintage canning colander (sometimes called an applesauce strainer) and stir the cooked apples until just the peels remain. (You could also use a food mill.) Kids love doing this part! Add sugar to season, I like mine pretty tart. Amount will vary depending on the apples you use and your personal preference.
When we were growing up, we usually ate the applesauce warm with bread and butter….and I still like it that way. So often our memories influence how we like our food! However, most of my family likes it cold, chunky and with cinnamon….will share a recipe that they like in another post. So I will enjoy my warm, smooth tart applesauce! YUM!
I found that 1/2 bushel of apples made about 7-8 quarts of applesauce.
Thank you for the inspiration Laurie!
