A is for Apples

APPLES, APPLES!

Nothing says fall like apples, all kinds of apples! MacIntosh, Honeycrisp, Winesap, Cortland ... if I weren't already in Almost Heaven (West Virginia) I would think I'm almost in heaven when I bite into a crisp, tart apple.

And, guess what?! I have never met a kid who doesn't like apples! One of my fondest memories growing up was when my mother would make homemade applesauce. Not only would I wait in breathless anticipation for that luscious, slightly chunky, sweet, but tart, sauce to slide over my tongue, but I would swipe crunchy apple wedges for a little snack while my mother was cutting the apples.

When I began making applesauce for my grandchildren, I used an apple peeler/corer gadget that speeds up the peeling process and leaves a long, linguini-like apple peel behind. My grandchildren would devour that apple peel linguini, and loads of nutritional value with it!

Making homemade applesauce doesn't take much time and it introduces you and your children to the wonderful variety of apples that is on the market, and your kids can help make it. You will never find a store-bought applesauce that comes anywhere close to the remarkable flavor of real apples, cooked down and lightly enhanced with lemon juice, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. That's it! That's all there is to great applesauce!

So go to your local farmer's market or grocery store and pick out a couple of varieties of apples and get busy! Because fall weather demands -- and your children soon will, too -- homemade applesauce!



Angerona Farm Applesauce

6-8 apples, either one variety or a mix of two or more
1 1/2 T. Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled concentrate)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/8 t. salt

Core and peel apples and cut into wedges or use a corer/peeler to slice apples. Place in medium saucepan and sprinkle with lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown.

When all the apples are peeled and in the saucepan, sprinkle the remainder of the lemon juice on them, place over medium-low heat, and allow to cook down -- about a half hour. You should stir the apples once or twice during the period -- especially in the last 15 minutes to turn the apples on the top down into the hotter part.

Once the apples are reduced to a sauce -- I prefer to leave a few chunks -- turn off the heat and allow the sauce mixture to sit for about a half hour. Add the brown sugar and pinch of salt, then allow to sit again for about a half hour. Adjust the sugar, if needed.

NOTES: This recipe needs very little attention once the apples go on the heat, which makes it easy to do at the beginning of your meal preparation and, presto!, it's ready when you are. I frequently will make it earlier in the afternoon and just let it sit on the stove until I am ready to serve, heating it just a little before serving. Remember that the apples will continue to cook once you turn off the heat, so they can still have quite a few chunks when you reach for that knob.

If you have kids in the 10-to-12 age range, they can operate the corer/peeler with supervision, and, perhaps, stir the apples when it is time, again with close supervision.

If you have smaller kids, in the 6-to-10 range, they can help by cleaning up the apple peelings and eating some as they go. They can also dump in the brown sugar and salt.

Cinnamon is optional. I don't use it because good apples don't need any adornment. And it helps kids get used to the delicious taste of plain apples. Likewise with adding more sugar; make sure you let the sauce sit after adding the brown sugar. If you taste it immediately after adding the sugar, it will taste like it needs more. WAIT! It takes several minutes for the flavors to meld together. The lemon juice also adds a tartness that is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the apples.