Applesauce

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
• 2 strips of lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Up to 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions

1. Add the peeled, cored and quartered apples to a large pot. Stir in the lemon peel strips, lemon juice or vinegar, cinnamon, sugar, 1 cup water and salt. If your apples are already sweet, start with half the sugar now and adjust after cooking.
2. Set the pot over high heat and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, put the lid on, and let it bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, until the apples are fully soft all the way through.
3. Take the pot off the heat and lift out the lemon peels. Mash the apples right in the pot with a potato masher if you want a chunkier applesauce. For a smoother version, pass the cooked apples through a food mill, or blend them with a stick blender or standing blender. If you use a standing blender, work in small batches and never fill the blender more than halfway.
4. If the applesauce seems thicker than you like, stir in more water to loosen it. Taste and adjust: add more sugar if it needs sweetness, or more lemon juice if it tastes too sweet.
5. Serve the applesauce hot or chilled. It goes nicely with pork chops, works with cottage cheese for a snack or light lunch, and is also lovely with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
6. This applesauce freezes well and will keep at least a year in a cold freezer. If freezing in a jar, leave room for the applesauce to expand, at least an inch.