Autumn Applesauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy pot, toss apples with lemon juice. Add cider, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Place over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes or until apples are tender. (Be careful! Applesauce splatters may be hot.) If sauce is too thin, continue to cook, uncovered, until reduced. Taste and add more sugar and cinnamon, as desired.
3. Serve warm or transfer to a covered container and chill. Serve chunky or coarsely mash with a potato masher. For a smooth sauce, whirl cooked, cooled applesauce in a food processor.
4. Cook's Tips:
5. Try other sweet spices in your applesauce - a pinch or two of nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, or cloves. For something different, try adding a star anise, freshly grated ginger, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
6. MICROWAVE COOKING: Reduce apple cider to 1/4 cup. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe container. Cover and cook on high 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until apples are tender. See step 3 above.
7. SLOW COOKER METHOD: Omit apple cider. Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 4 hours or until apples are tender. See step 3 above.