Home Grown and Homemade!

I used some of my Mom's apples from "her" tree this fall to make some homemade applesauce. It is technically her neighbor's tree, but it hangs over into her yard and her neighbors happily share the bounty with her.

I had made this applesauce for the first time before my first son was born. It is an easy and flavorful recipe. The only thing is that the texture of your applesauce really depends on the kind of apples you use. Some apples break down more easily than others. As a result, some apples will yield a smoother sauce, and others will be a little more chunky. These apples made for a chunky applesauce (more texture than what the recipe called for, I think). However, I think you can't go wrong with this basic recipe. I'll include some tips in my notes as to what to do if your applesauce is of the chunkier variety.

Easy Baked Applesauce

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven; toss to coat. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F. for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until apples are tender, stirring once after 45 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutrition information: 137 calories, 0.3 g fat, 0.6 g protein, 0.0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium, 3.1 g fiber, 0.4 mg iron, 36.2 g carbohydrate.

Recipe Notes: For best results, choose apples that break down easily when cooked, such as Gala, Pink Lady, and Braeburn. The sauce is delicious paired with roast turkey or pork, and you can prepare it up to three days ahead. Serve it warm, at room temperature, or chilled to suit your preference.


Source: This recipe comes from the November 2006 issue of Cooking Light. You can find it online here. This recipe has a 5 star rating. Be sure to check out the comments because they give good tips regarding chunky applesauce. You can find the comments here.

Notes: The apples I used didn't break down completely in the Dutch oven. I ended up mashing them with a potato masher and I added some additional water until the applesauce reached the texture and consistency that I wanted. If you wanted a smooth applesauce, I would suggest letting it cool and blending it in batches in a blender or food processor (again, adding additional water, as needed, to reach the consistency and texture you desire).

We ate this applesauce plain, on crepes (we filled the crepes with a sweetened ricotta cheese filling, but you could also use vanilla yogurt), and even in an apple pie-style smoothie (we just added milk and yogurt).