Enjoy this beautiful day

The busy season is over at our local farmers’ market, but the apple stall is still going strong. I always load up on the good ones for eating, but it’s a fantastic time to pick up extras for applesauce.

I decided to make my first applesauce last year, and felt like a bit of an idiot after I sent an email to a foodie friend, asking for a good applesauce recipe. In the nicest possible way she replied, “Um, you just cook the apples and then puree them.”

Clearly, this is a crazy easy project that anyone can tackle.

I found all my information on PickYourOwn.org, which is a fantastic resource, from finding an orchard to cooking and canning.

If you’re inclined to can (at which I’m also a newbie), this is an easy item to stock up on for the year to come. I can buy a bushel of apples for $24, which produces approximately 24 pints of applesauce. I can plow through two bushels on a Saturday, and be set for the year! Be sure to ask about “seconds”, less-than-perfect apples that aren’t good enough to eat, but are perfect for applesauce. They’re even less expensive.

Stick with a sweet apple, and you’ll have no need to add any sugar. I like to throw in some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to ours, but it’s also delicious plain!

Got any apple or applesauce recipes you’d like to share?