I know you've heard the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." My dad certainly took this to heart and has eaten an apple nearly every day of his adult life. A child of WWII, he has been known to eat the WHOLE apple except for the stem. My Applesauce recipe embraces this notion: remove the stem and cook the entire apple once quartered. After the cooked apple is run through a food mill, the result is smooth and flavorful with a rosy tint from the skin. If canned, Applesauce stands at the ready throughout the year for a taste of fall's harvest anytime -- try it with a bowl of oatmeal on a chilly morn. Please note that I have never added more than 1/4 cup sugar to a large batch. And, please feel free to spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, or allspice to your heart's desire. I am a purist and keep it simple.
Applesauce
from Ball Blue Book
2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds apples per quart
Water
Sugar (optional)
Wash, stem, and quarter apples; do not core or peel. Cook
apples until soft in a large covered saucepot with just enough water to prevent
sticking. Press apples and juice through a sieve or food mill to separate seeds
and peel from the pulp. Return apple pulp to saucepot. Add ¼ cup sugar per
pound of apples or to taste, if desired. Bring applesauce to a boil, stirring
to prevent sticking. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring to prevent
sticking. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air
bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints and quarts 20 minutes in a
boiling-water canner.
