Mom’s Applesauce

I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut these past few days, and unfortunately, that has involved cooking anything new (or writing much, as you can tell). So, tonight, I’m making something I’ve been craving for awhile, and maybe the combination of creation and indulgence will help spark some motivation.

My mom taught headstart when I was pretty young, and she made this applesauce to go on peanut butter toast. There is so much flavor that it’s more like pie filling than applesauce, and if you leave it chunky (like I do), you can pretend it is.

This is her picture from a couple of weeks ago..I’ll update you tomorrow with pics of what I make…

Ingredients for Mom’s Homemade Applesauce

-Apples, peeled and chopped (size of the chunks is up to you).
-Butter (or Earth Balance Margarine).
-Orange Juice.
-Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
-A drizzle of honey (totally optional).

(I realize I haven’t put in quantities here. That’s cos it doesn’t matter. The amount of apples just depends on how much you want. Start chopping and see what you come up with. Remember it will cook down a little. I am pretty happy with what I get with 5 or 6 medium apples for our family, but you can never have too much. Also, granny smith are the best, but you can use whatever you’ve got.)

How to Make Applesauce

Don’t listen to those deceivers who tell you to just boil and puree apples. Psht. Here’s how you really make applesauce.

-Heat up a skillet to mediumish. I used to use my electric skillet because it was pretty big and had a lid (lids are in short supply around here). Tonight, I will just use my cast iron skillet.

-Toss in some butter. You don’t need a whole lot. Maybe a couple tsp for just a few apples up to a couple of tbsp for a bigger batch. “Dollop” comes to mind. Let it melt, then..

-Splash in some OJ.

-Add those apples. I like to let it sizzle and golden up a bit first. Oh man, I can smell it now. After that goes on for a minute or two, turn it down and let it simmer. You might want to add some water or another splash or so of OJ. You don’t want it swimming, but it can’t dry out, either.

-Shake in cinnamon/nutmeg to taste. I am usually generous with the cinnamon and cautious with the nutmeg, which is stronger. Drizzle in some honey if you’d like. It can go either way, but you don’t need much at all.

-Cook it down. Cover if you can, and check it every so often. Stir, smash, taste, whatever. I often start with big chunks (cos I’m lazy and don’t want to chop a lot) and then smash it down with my spatula as it gets soft. That gives me some smoothness and pourability, but leaves chunks because, well, chunks of buttery cooked apples are amazing.

-Enjoy. You could puree it, but why?  It should be thick and saucy. Great for toast, oatmeal, icecream, a spoon…

Yep. I’m totally making this tonight.