re:
>Applesauce is simple cooked apples mashed, or put through a food mill, so
>that it is fairly smooth. You can by it in a jar here either sweetened or
>unsweetened. You can easily make it.
I agree with Jenny Herl (whose directions were also just fine), and
would add that I'm very happy I asked my grandmother to 'teach' me to make
applesauce, just like hers, many years ago.
Then and now, my favorite apples for this are Cortlands, though I
believe my grandmother made hers from all sorts of mixed drops. Good
applesauce is a staple here. We can countless quarts of it, and I don't
think too many meals are served without this chunky, pink side dish.
Making a little applesauce is no easier or any harder than making a lot.
Wash a big, firm apple, quarter it, and slice out the core and seeds. Leave
the skin on if you want the color. Steam your apple/s in a small amount of
water in a covered pan, and when it looks pulpy or plump, stir til it's the
consistency you like. The peels are usually still intact at this point, and
I remove them. Then add sugar if you like, brown or white, and any apple
spices, like cinnamon.
But go easy with these; the purists will say a good apple needs nothing
added.
Baked apples are a wonderful, easy dessert, too, throughout autumn and
winter, and if there are any leftover, they're just as good cold.
Ali's letter made me very glad I live in 'apple country', and reminded
me that 'apple season' is a wonderful time of year.
Kathleen Wilson
Glenwood, Nova Scotia