A is for Applesauce

Today, Michelle Stern of What's Cooking shares her killer applesauce recipe:

One of the Mommy & Me cooking classes I teach is called Eating the Alphabet: From Apples to Zucchini, and I figured I couldn't go wrong starting with something familiar but undeniably delicious: applesauce. Kids love it. Grownups love it. And it's insanely good when made from scratch. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Michelle's Applesauce

Ingredients:

3 pounds of apples

4 strips of lemon peel from 1 lemon + 1 additional lemon

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 inches of cinnamon stick

1 cup of water

white sugar, to taste, up to 1/4 cup

Directions:

1. Wash the apples. Cut apples with a knife or apple wedger. Peel and dice apples, place in a large pot, and set aside.

2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 4 strips of rind from one lemon (do not include the white part of the lemon peel - it tastes bitter). Cut the two lemons in half. Juice the lemons, using a juicer, reamer, or by squeezing it by hand. Measure 3-4 tablespoons of juice into a small bowl. Add the brown sugar then salt to the lemon juice and mix well.

3. Add the contents of the lemon juice bowl, the cinnamon stick, and water into the pot filled with apples. Turn on the heat and simmer for 25-35 minutes (or until soft), stirring occasionally. Add sugar in increments, adjusting to taste. Mix well to ensure that sugar dissolves. Pour the cooked mixture into a large bowl. Fish out the cinnamon stick and lemon peels and discard.

4. Use a potato masher to mush up the cooked apples. Enjoy warm or cold.

Image credit: Michelle Stern