Frankly, I don't remember if my grandmother made her own applesauce, but she was renown for the apple pies she made with tender Jonathan apples. In her honor, I often use the same, but you can use whatever kind you prefer. It gets a clean sweetness from the addition of lemon juice and zest.
Makes about 5 cups
1 lemon
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 Jonathan apples (about 2 1/2 pounds), or whatever kind you prefer
Zest the lemon into a large pot. Juice the lemon, adding the juice to the pot along with the water, sugar and salt. Peel, core and cut the apples into rough 1-inch chunks; add them to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the apples are soft, stirring occasionally (6 to 8 minutes for Jonathans, but time will vary depending on the texture of the apples). Remove the pot from the heat and use a potato masher to mash the apples. Serve at room temperature or chilled (the sauce will thicken as it cools).
Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved.
www.jillhough.com.