Homemade Applesauce

One of our most favorite things about fall and our frequent apple picking (and one of the reasons we go through so many apples!) is THE APPLESAUCE.

We started making our own a few years ago, and it RUINED store-bought applesauce for me. Like, completely. I can't even eat the stuff now. Anyway, prior to making it myself, I never realized how easy it is to do.

And it is just SO good. We like to leave it a little bit on the chunky side. I also like to heat it up in the microwave for a minute or so before eating. Tastes like a sinful dessert, but in reality, it has no added sugar! That's right--just apples, cinnamon, and a little bit of water. Doesn't get any easier than that!

Here is the "recipe":

First, we use our cool little apple peeler/corer/slicer to prepare all of the apples. Pretty cool, right? We got this useful gadget at Linens N Things (before it closed, obviously).
The result is these apple slice "spirals." I quarter these so that the apples are smaller slices.
Throw all of the apple slices into a big pot.
Add 1/4-1/2 cup of water (depending on how many apples you're using), and then cover. Place over high heat until you hear boiling/bubbling sounds. Stir. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
The apples will start to break down, like this.
And then they break down even further, like this! This is the way we like it, so at this point, it's done. If you like smooth applesauce, you can let this cool and then run it through your food processor. Or you can use a potato masher to try to get rid of some of the bigger lumps.

At this point, I stir in a healthy dose of cinnamon, and tada! Done. Let it cool before moving it into storage containers. Store in the fridge.
Enjoy!