Ok, our abundance of apples continues, and as long as they keep coming, I am compelled to keep doing something with them! So, the other day I put up 16 quarts of chunky, delicious applesauce. (Do you have any idea how many apples it takes to make 16 quarts of applesauce? I didn't either. It takes a LOT.) I decided to wing it this time and develop my own recipe, just following the basic guidelines for applesauce as outlined in Putting Food By. I think I hit on a winner. In keeping with family tradition, this is a chunky, spiced style applesauce. It's the way my grandma made it, and my mom, and me! Sorry folks, no unsweetened baby-food style purees around here...this is grown-up applesauce!
Family-Style Spiced Applesauce
Peel, core and slice enough apples to fill a large kettle (20 qt.) to within 2 inches of the top. I highly recommend an apple peeler/corer/slicer tool for this! As you're filling the pot with apples, toss them with a few tablespoons of lemon juice occassionally to prevent discoloration. Add 4 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until soft, mashing with a potato masher. Then stir in:
5 cups brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
Return to a boil, keep hot. Pack in hot sterilized jars and seal (I used the oven method again with great results...see Preserving Apples Part 1!) Yields about 8 quarts.
Love it! I'm doing canned apple pie filling w/my mom tomorrow!
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