Applesauce for the Freezer

There is nothing better than homemade applesauce with hand-picked apples, and it is so easy to do! If you want chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the cooked apples. If you prefer smooth apple sauce, run the cooked apples through a food mill. The key is adding a few strips of lemon peel to the apples while cooking. The lemon heightens the apple flavor. Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein. Ready to serve as soon as you’re done, either hot or refrigerated. Delicious with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt. Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Original recipe makes 5 quarts

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored, and quartered
1 cup water
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar, or less to taste
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
1 (3 inch) piece cinnamon stick
4 strips lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt

PREP

15 mins
COOK

25 mins
READY IN

40 mins

Directions

Stir apples, water, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and salt together in a large pot. Place a cover on the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the apples are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove pot from heat. Remove and discard cinnamon stick and lemon zest strips. Mash apples with a potato masher.