By MAD21
We started a new tradition in our family last year. We decided that we were going to give everyone homemade applesauce as gifts for Christmas. So in October (the middle of apple season!) we headed out to one of our local farmer stands and purchased several bushels of apples. Seven different kinds. It was a hit. Both the family time it took to make the applesauce, and the they joyful reception the gifts got during the holidays. We really enjoyed the time we had with Grandma teaching us the canning process, and our girls LOVED using the peeler to peel all the apples (which was Grandma's station...though thinking back, I think the time with Grandma was probably what was enjoyed most).
Two weeks ago, my family took another road trip to the farmers stand to buy our apples for this year's batch. It's so fun. We get to taste all the varieties we want. Our girls just love it (though, it was really cold this year!) Up until this beginning this tradition, I never really understood the huge differences between the types of apples. They were always just... apples. I never really cared to know the names of them. I just knew I preferred the light green ones (Golden Delicious).
The applesauce we made last year was so successful, we tried to stick with the same recipe for this year. But we had to change a couple because some varieties weren't available yet. We still had seven varieties, though. This year we chose Fuji, Stayman Winesap, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Nittany, and Jonathon. The mix was quiet yummy.
It's an all day adventure to make enough applesauce (along with the canning process) to give to all of our friends and family. In the end we had 62 pints (half plain, half with cinnamon). But if you only want to make enough for your own family, it doesn't really take that much time at all. Maybe an hour.
The process of making the applesauce is quite simple. Just select the apples that you want to use, peel them (though some people don't do this, it's just my preference), slice them up and put them in a big pot on the stove with about 1/2 inch of water covering the bottom. At a low heat, let them simmer, stirring often once they've started getting mushy. Once it looks like applesauce, you can either leave it the way it is, because some people like it a bit more chunky, or you can run it through a food mill to get a smoother consistency.
Like with most things, the homemade versions of foods taste so much better. And making your own applesauce is no different. Try it! Maybe it'll become a tradition for you.
We have a lot of apples left over. I think we'll try to make an apple pie or cake next. Perhaps an adventure for next weekend.
Every Wednesday, fellow blogger Kristen at We are THAT Family posts clever ideas for getting things done. She calls it, "Works For Me Wednesday" or WFMW. Be sure to go visit her blog to read her post along with links to other blogs who are participating.