Taking after Mom…and Applesauce Making

One of the best compliments I can receive is that I take after my mom. My daughter has made this statement several times lately and it makes me smile. She says, with a grin on her face, you are becoming “just like Grandma” in this area or that. I say “Thank you!”. My mom has been a faithful mother to me and my 3 siblings for as long as I remember. And, now, she is Grandmother to 11 children and Great-grandmother to 2 more children. She loves us each very personally and it is very special. She (along with my Dad) have stood by us through the joys and sorrows of life. They pray for us and love us and encourage us to trust the Lord. Words are not enough to say how thankful I am.

One of the more superficial ways that I am like my mom is that I make homemade applesauce. My daughter really likes homemade applesauce, especially when Grandma makes it. She recently even requested some for her birthday, which isn’t until June. So, with apples being plentiful right now, I decided it was time to make some. While mine is not quite as perfect as my moms, it is pretty close. 🙂 Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

12 Granny Smith Apples
4 Fuji Apples (or any sweeter apple)
1 Cup of Water
1 Lemon, Juiced
1 1/4 cups of Sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:

Peel all of the apples (I make this into a game and try to get the peel off in one piece to pass the time.) 🙂

Next, quarter your apples

By quartering the apples the way I displayed, you save the step of cutting out the seeds. Next, slice your apples in close to uniform slices (for even cooking) and place them in your cooking pot.

Now, add your water and your lemon juice to the pot

Place your lid on your pot and bring to a simmer on medium heat and then reduce to low until your apples are tender. This will take around 20 minutes. If most of your apples are tender, but some are still holding out, you can turn the heat off and leave your pot covered for an additional 20 minutes. This step allows your apples to continue cooking at a much slower pace so the “hold outs” can soften up.

Next, with an immersion blender or food processor or hand mixer, blend your apples until they are smooth. (As a side note, my Mom and Dad gave their immersion blender to me so I now have a new one! I am SO grateful!)

Now, add in your sugar and cinnamon. This is where you want to add slowly. There are factors like the sweetness of your apples or your extreme like or dislike of cinnamon that come into play here. Because we used mostly granny smith apples, ours were on the tart side. If you used a mix of half granny smith and half fuji, you would need less sugar. I add the sugar in 1/4 cup increments. Also, if you like cinnamon, put in the 2 teaspoons I suggest. If not, you will want to add less or none. We really like cinnamon in our applesauce. I added the cinnamon in 1/2 teaspoon increments.

We placed our applesauce in, you guessed it, mason jars. We will enjoy it for the rest of the week!! Thank you Mom for passing on your enjoyment of cooking. Even more, thank you (to you and Dad) for continuing to build a legacy in your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We are grateful! We love you!