Home-made Applesauce

Last week, I tackled the apples I bought from a local orchard.   One of the things I decided to try was home-made applesauce.  I tasked Valiant with finding us "a good recipe to try".  I am so glad I did, because Valiant picked a winner.  I only wish I'd gotten more apples.  This applesauce was so easy and so good.  If you've ever thought of trying to make your own applesauce, I encourage you to give it a try...you won't regret it.

Easy Homemade Applesauce
RecipeTips.com

Ingredients:
3 pounds of apples (10-12 medium) (I had McIntosh and Honeycrisp)
1/2 cup sugar to taste; adjusting for sweetness of apples (I used 1/4 cup of sugar)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (I used it!)
Water as needed to adjust thickness.


Directions:
1.  Wash, peel, core and slice apples.  (I didn't peel mine and I cut them in chunks/roughly quarters.)
2.  Place prepared apples in sauce pan.  Add 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the saucepan and cook, partially covered, over medium to low heat for 15-20 minutes.
3.  Add sugar.  (Adjust the amount of sugar based on the type and sweetness of the apple variety being used.)  Add cinnamon and vanilla.
4.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes.  If sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water. 
5.  10-12 medium apples makes approximately 1 quart of sauce.
6.  Since some apples cook up softer than others, the consistency of the sauce may vary.  If a smoother textured sauce is desired, place cooked sauce in blender or food processor and blend until desired consistency is achieved.

NOTES:

I used more like 20 apples.  The McIntosh apples were softer than the Honeycrisp and cooked more quickly.  I ended up using the blender to get a nice sauce.  Also, I didn't peel my apples, but the blender took care of the peels, too.  I don't know how to can yet, so I put the sauce into bottles and froze all but one.