Why you should do this:

• it tastes better
• it contains more fiber (skins stay on!)
• it’s easy
• it’s “green” – those ugly apples with spots all go in the pot!

This is really all it takes:

Ingredients

• 2c water
• 6-7 medium apples
• cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger…any or all, your choice!

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a large pan, roughly chop apples (don’t peel them, there’s vitamins and fiber in there!), and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Mash with a potato masher or puree in a blender, season (I used 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, and just a dash of cloves and allspice – they’re strong!).

Notice what’s NOT on the ingredient list – sugar!  You won’t miss it though – homemade applesauce is SWEET, not bland like the grocery store kinds.  I used Nittany apples; any other sweet and firm variety would work well too (Braeburn, Honeycrisp, York, Cameo).

Pair with nuts or cheese for a snack, top on vanilla ice cream for dessert, or blend into a baked good in place of oil.  It makes a nice gift, too – people will be IMPRESSED that you did this, but you don’t have to share how easy it was! (Or, do consider sharing how easy it was, and refer your friends to this post!)