Applethauthe

The other day at work we had a surplus of apples left over from Christmas and our cook decided to cook us up some applesauce for the next day’s dessert. I was working with the older kids at the time, in the room that is as far away as you can get from the kitchen, barring being in one of the other buildings. As I sat reading Liz Curtis Higgs’ Fair is the Rose while the “little dears” napped, the scent of cooking apples wafted up the stairs and through the building. Mmm. Only my first thought was, “Who on earth gave a kid apple juice during naptime and why did they spill it all over the floor?” Because, naturally, if you smell anything at a daycare it can be blamed on a child 90% of the time. Or more. I’m bad with math and don’t have the exact statistics on such things.

Either way, that got me in the mood for applesauce. Having a bag full of apples sitting in my own house, waiting for me to pick them up and turn them into some culinary masterpiece (or chop them up for my guinea pig), I decided to make applethauthe. Here’s the recipe, just for you.

Miss Wisabus’s Cinnamon-y Applesauce

10 Granny Smith apples
1 1/2 cups sugar (or more, to taste)
2-3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups water
Let the water heat in an appropriately sized pot (medium-large) while you are peeling and cutting the apples. You just want it hot, not boiling. Add the apples and let them cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Apples will begin to fall apart as you stir. Let cook another 15 minutes or until at desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Some recipes call for using a blender, but I have found that it isn’t necessary. If the apples don’t break down enough for you, pull out a potato masher and finish the job.

Now you’ve got yourself a nice pot full of applesauce! Enjoy it while it’s warm, that’s great.