I Don't Need No Mott's

Last night I made applesauce for the first time. It wasn't particularly difficult but it was time-consuming and a pain. My apple supplies are fairly low now. I began by peeling and coring the apples. This process dealt a savage blow to my new apple corer as the handle couldn't take the pressure too well. It got a bit off center but it held on.



Squeezing the lemons for the anti-browning solution got in a cut and stung like the dickens. I used a variety of apfels – Wolf Rivers, Galas, and perhaps a couple stray Wealthies. So once you're down to just the flesh, you slice them up and throw them into a kettle with a small amount of water. Cook them until they're all tender. Next you can either puree them for a smooth sauce or mash them for a chunkier style. I opted for the latter.



I had entertained ideas about adding a bit of cinnamon or some freshly ground nutmeg but eschewed all spice in favor of just a little sugar. I found that I had a couple dozen quart jars but hardly any pints. So I scrounged around the cupboards until I had six of them. One had a large crack running nearly the entire height of the jar so it was quickly discarded.



I also had a helluva time finding my canning funnel but eventually found it hidden in a bundt pan. In addition, it took me a while to find my water bath pot thingy. It too was hidden beneath all kinds of stuff in the basement. So the lesson here is to keep your canning supplies together. Much to my delight, I found that I had just enough applesauce for five pint jars. Here they are taking their bath:



And now here they are resting:



While it's a pain to stand around peeling and removing the cores from apples, I think it'll be worth it. There are some tasty applesauces on your grocer's shelves, but I appreciate being able to determine how much sugar is added and which varieties of apples are used. Plus there's the feeling of accomplishment and being able to tell the Mott's people off. Stay tuned to find out how it turned out.