Another post in our First on Friday series where we share a new activity from the week season.
Suddenly winter has come to wine country: cool weather and lots of rain. We’re finally packing away the summer clothes and cooking warming foods on the stove.
We’ve been making lots of applesauce, a new something for the whole family. It turns out that applesauce making is incredibly easy and delicious. So easy and delicious that I can’t believe I waited until I was thirty years old to try it. And so easy and delicious that I will never buy jarred applesauce again.
Here’s what you do:
Peel, core and dice up a couple apples. Throw them in a sauce pan with a little apple juice or water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15-25 minutes until the apples begin to fall apart. Mash the apple mixture up with a fork. Taste. Nearly die from the deliciousness. Run out to buy more apples to make more applesauce. (Just kidding. About the last part anyhow.)
You have got to give applesauce making a try!
As my friend Sarah Gilbert says, “It’s such a feeling of power and revelation, isn’t it?” She nailed it. Oh, yes, it is! That’s exactly what it’s all about. Not only does cooking from scratch taste better, but it feels so satisfying.
I have apples in the fridge. I think I’ll go make some applesauce to eat with breakfast. Excuse me.
this DOES sound easy! so much so that i may even do it too… :)
Tried it — FABULOUS! I actually simmered it in a little white grape juice, which gave it some extra light ‘n’ fruity overtones. In the next batch, I left the apples a little more chunky and threw in some organic raisins right at the end (they absorb the grape and apple juices and become all puffy…yum). I put the warm raisin-applesauce mixture in a mini-graham cracker crust with a good pinch of nutmeg and a dash of brown sugar. Voila! Warm winter apple tart without all that horrible fake fructose goopiness of store-bought stuff. Thanks, Carrie!