Four Darling Daughters: DIY Applesauce

While grocery shopping on Saturday, I decided that our family needed more vegetables.

So I bought (lots of):

1. zucchini

2. squash

3. carrots

4. green peppers

5. red peppers

6. yellow peppers

7. onions

8. corn-on-the-cob

I felt pretty good about the healthy choices I had made...until it was time to put them away! I didn't have enough room in either of the crispers...because...it was still full of apples, oops!

(Okay, you've got me, these are red delicious which is not the kind I used, but I started boiling them before I realized that I was going to share this moment with the world, the picture moment was missed)

My mom had picked up some apples from the orchard in early Fall. She made applesauce from the inside of the apple, and apple jelly from boiling the peelings. Although they both sound delicious, the amount of work required made it a little un-a"peeling" to me :)

I didn't start with a recipe book, I just threw the apples in a large pot and started boiling them (with the skins on). I don't have a good reason why I left the skins on, I was just (in a hurry) trying to get the apples out of my way so I could put away the groceries. :)

This is a few of the apples I boiled. Once I started pulling the skin off the apples, the stuff inside already looked like applesauce and I realized that I better get the camera out...this was so easy, I had to share it!

I boiled the apples until they were soft. Once they were soft, I pulled the peelings off and pulled out the core. Make sure you get all the seeds! I put the pulp of the apple in the foley foodmill and turned the handle until all the apple went through. This went very quickly sense it was already mushy!

Apple being sifted through the foley food mill

I think this one is self-explanatory :)

At first I thought maybe I would leave it plain, but it kinda just tasted like mushy apples. I added in raw sugar (all I had were the little packets, I'm showing the box here so you don't think I stole them from a restaurant :)) I decided at least raw sugar was a little better than the refined stuff...I mean, I did just go fill the crisper with veggies...

raw sugar+heart=pure love :) lol!

I also added, Cinnamon (fair amount), Nutmeg (fair amount), and Ginger (descent amount)

Something I still remember from Home-Ec, don't lean over the pan, fan the scent toward you. This way the hot mixture doesn't pop-up at you and more importantly, less likely to have hair fall in!

It smelled like it was going to taste delicious!