DISCLAIMER: My camera has wandered away. It is either in one of our travel bags from when we went away a few weeks ago and never got unpacked, or it has been swallowed by the abyss of our spare room. So, the photos in my next few posts were shot on my iPhone, and I apologize in advance if the photos aren't great. I've never used photos taken on an iPhone in a blog post before, so I really have no idea of how the photos are going to look. Not gonna let loss of camera stop me!
Anyway. Applesauce.
This is really just a nice, basic, no-sugar applesauce that is great for baking, to feed to kids and babies, and for people who don't like really sugary or overly spiced applesauce. I found the recipe in the short-lived but awesome baby-food sub-blog over at Smitten Kitchen. The biggest change I made was that I did not peel the apples (okay, I peeled one, and then I realized how long it was going to take me to peel 4lbs worth of apples and I was working in a limited time-frame, so I skipped peeling the apples and everything was fine). This was a great way to use up apples that are just south of being good for eating. This whole thing went together quite quickly, and made my kitchen smell delicious :)
Unsweetened Applesauce
-Adapted only very slightly from Deb at Smitten Kitchen
- About 4lbs apples, cored and sliced (I used a mix of Honey Crisp and Macoun apples, but use whatever you like) Peeling is optional, do what you like.
-4 strips of lemon peel
-1 cinnamon stick (if you don't have a cinnamon stick, about 1/4tsp to 1/2tsp ground cinnamon would be fine)
-1/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
-3/4 cup water
-Core and slice the apples (peel them if you are moved to and if you have more time than I did) and place them in a large pot.
-Add cinnamon stick, lemon peel, cider and water to the pot with the apples and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let the apples cook until they are soft, about 30-35 minutes.
-Once apples are soft, remove lemon peels and cinnamon stick and let applesauce cool a bit.
-Depending on the consistency you like, you can mash the apples down further with a potato masher or whisk. Or, for a smoother cosistency, use a food mill, blender or food processor (PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN PLACING WARM LQUIDS IN FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER). I pureed mine in the food processor and it is sooo lovely and velvety ;)
UPDATE 11/11/13: IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE PEELING THE APPLES BUT DON'T WANT PEELS IN YOUR FINISHED SAUCE, YOU CAN RUN THE COOKED APPLESUACE THROUGH A FOOD MILL BEFORE PLACING IN CONTAINERS AND FREEZING :)
-The applesauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two, and for months in the freezer :)
NOTES: As you can see, there is no sugar in this recipe, so if you're expecting a sweet sauce, you're in a for a surprise. The taste of this applesauce is very light and clear, with some really nice background notes from the lemon and cinnamon. The sauce tastes even better the next day after it has had a little chill time in the fridge :)
Next up? Mexican Rice :)
Hope this made your Monday a little brighter!
Love,
Lynn ;)
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