Applesauce

In my efforts to improve my diet and eat healthier and more naturally, I've been seeking recipes to make foods my daughter likes as well. Applesauce is one of the recipes for my daughter. I found the recipe on Pinterest named Crockpot Applesauce. I shared tastes of this with several friends at work, and the response was very positive. However, the most important verdict came from the teenager... she said it was very good! She loved the different apple flavors represented. She also loved the cinnamon flavor. The original called for one stick of cinnamon, but I used three. Of note here, I thought I was going to use 7 lbs of apples, but I quickly realized that my crockpot was not large enough to hold that much. 

6 lbs of a variety of apples (Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.) 

1 strip of lemon peel (I started with three strips and removed one each hour until only one was left)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 3-inch cinnamon sticks

 1/2 cup brown sugar

Peel, core and quarter the apples and place in the crockpot.

Add brown sugar, lemon juice and lemon peel. 

Turn heat to low and cook about six hours until the apples are soft and disintegrating. Stir occasionally.

Remove cinnamon stick(s) and use an immersion blender or a stand mixer to blend until smooth, or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact. (You could also use a whisk, which will give the sauce a nice chunky consistency.)

 

Can and process as you would other recipes or keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.