Applesauce

Hi, friends! I have a super quick and simple recipe today because that's just what I need today. Quick and simple. I love homemade applesauce because I have complete control over the level of sweetness, and I usually stick to the tart end of the spectrum. The best thing about this is that it's a foolproof recipe. Every time I make applesauce I just wing it and don't really follow a recipe, and the end result is always a big, delicious batch of applesauce. So I guess I shouldn't say it's a foolproof recipe. More like a foolproof method. All you need is apples, water, and a little bit of sugar. How simple is that?

Applesauce

Apples

Water

Sugar of some variety (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)

I started with 1/2 peck of mixed baking apples. Judging by the fact that mixed baking apples are a sorry lot yet still produce excellent applesauce, I would imagine that any variety of apple would work just fine.

Core and peel ze apples.

If you have one of those handy little peeler/corer devices, lucky you. Otherwise a knife works fine. Just a tip: an apple corer makes a huge difference. I've made applesauce without one, and peeling and coring a dozen apples makes for really achy hands. Maybe I'm just a weakling, but whatever. I'm running a marathon tomorrow. Take that!

Having a bowl nearby for the discarded skins and cores is helpful. I learned that little trick from Rachel Ray. Did you know she sells "garbage bowls?" Yeah, they're big bowls. And it says "garbage" on the label. Clever, huh?

Roughly slice the apples, and add them to a large pot with a little water. Unlike in some areas of life, size does not matter here. The apples will break down into applesauce whether you cut them into tiny little pieces or large slices. I added 2 cups of water for my 14 apples. They don't need to be covered with water or anything. We're not boiling potatoes here. You just need there to be a little water to simmer in the bottom of the pot.

Cover the pot and let it simmer over low heat until the apples have broken down enough that there are no longer big slices. Some chunks are fine at this point.

Add a little sugar, or a lot of sugar if that's what you're into. I added a small spoonful of brown sugar because although I don't like sweet applesauce, this batch needed a little something.

Leave the lid off and let the applesauce cook over medium-low heat until the pieces break down more and it thickens a bit. Keep an eye on it, and stir it every couple minutes or so to prevent the bottom from burning.

Serve warm or cold. I like to add cinnamon or extra sugar to individual servings rather than the whole batch. It's like the variety pack of homemade applesauce. Or something like that.

I hope to have a post tomorrow with my pre-marathon feast that's baking away right now. If things get a little hectic laying around watching football, stuffing my face, reading for class, and, um, running a marathon, you might have to wait until Monday, though.