I love this time of year…the leaves are starting to change, the house smells like pumpkin spice & I can finally break out my scarves and boots!  It also means that we can venture to the local farm for hayrides and apple picking.  Over the weekend we took our son to the apple orchard; he loved picking his own apples!

By the time we were finished we had a 10 lb. bag and one happy little boy!  Since we had plenty of apples to go around, I decided to make applesauce!  Follow my simple recipe for an applesauce the whole family will love.

Laura’s Apple Cider Applesauce – Prep time 15 min, Cook time 20 min, Yields 1-1 ½ quarts

Ingredients:

7 – 10 Apples (we picked Jonathan, but Granny Smith or Golden Delicious would work too)

3 tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Cup Water

½ Cup Apple Cider

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Put the water and 2 tbsp. lemon juice in a large pot.  Peel, core and cut apples into quarters.  Add apples to the pot of lemon water as you cut them to prevent browning.  Halfway through cutting the apples add the remaining lemon juice and stir to make sure all of the apples are covered.

Once all of the apples are in the pot add the apple cider, bring to a boil, and then lower the temperature.  Cover and maintain a low simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Once the apples are fully cooked, remove the pot from the heat.  Add the cinnamon and use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the apples in the pot.  My family likes a thicker applesauce, but if your family prefers a smoother style you can mix the apples in a blender.  Taste the applesauce, if you believe it’s too sweet add more lemon juice or if it’s not sweet enough add 1/4 cup brown sugar.

You can serve the applesauce hot or cold, with pork chops or mixed with yogurt!  It also freezes for up to a year in a cold freezer.  Enjoy!

(Took inspiration from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/applesauce/)