Spiced Applesauce

Grocery-store apples have nothing on ones straight from the tree. 

I hate when apples are mushy and mealy - I think they are best when they're crisp and a balance of sweet & tart.  Granny Smiths usually fit the tart & crisp bill, but they get tiring after a while. 

Mr. Vittles likes them to be sweet (shocker), which is why he loves Red Delicious, but that gets boring too. 

So picking apples is just one of the many reasons I look forward to fall.  Surrounded by rows of apple trees, they all look so good I just want to pick every single one. 

It's a sickness, I know.

Tragically, with our wedding in mid-October, Mr. Vittles and I did not have a chance to go apple-picking last year.

Broke my little apple-lovin' heart :( 

So this year I knew that not only did we have to go, we had to go early to get the good pickings.  Which was a wise decision because we got to choose from SEVEN different types - Red & Yellow Delicious, Stayman Winesap, Jonathan, Empire, Fuji, Crispin, and McCoun.

I, of course, sampled them all.

Normally I would never be ok with spending $25 on apples.  But these bad boys are totally worth it

Once I got my paws on all these scrumptious fruits, my first order of business was to make applesauce.  

Growing up, my mom always made it after apple-picking (among many other treats, such as apple crisp & apple pie) and it's so much better than applesauce from a jar!  For mine, I used 3 different kinds of apples to make it a little more interesting.

If you don't have a crockpot/slow-cooker, you can probably make this on the stove - I would put all the ingredients in a pot with enough water to just cover the apples, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer until apples are soft (my guess is 20-30 mins).  If large chunks remain, mash with the back of a fork or potato masher.

Spiced Applesauce

• 8-10 medium-sized cooking apples
• 1/2 C. water
• 1/3-3/4 C. sugar*
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t. ground cloves

Peel, core & slice apples into 5 or 6 pieces each.  Place in crockpot.  Add water and sugar, sprinkle with spices.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.  Makes 8 servings.

*Sugar amount depends on how sweet you like it and also what types of apples you are using.  If they are mostly apples that are naturally sweet (ie Red/Yellow Delicious, Fuji) use less sugar.  If you are using ones that are slightly tart (ie Winesaps), use more sugar.

Family Recipe, Origin Unknown