Apple-slauce

Apples, apples, everywhere! This weekend I went to Robinettes Apple Orchard in Grand Rapids and found myself with a bag of beautiful, freshly picked McIntosh apples. Now, I know that "an apple a day keeps the doctore away", but I'll admit that I'm not one of those gals that will eat an apple every day. So I made a big batch of homemade cinnamon applesauce instead. Let me just say...... YUM.

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
Ingredients:
3 lbs apples of any variety (about 10 medium sized apples), cored and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, depending on your taste)

Directions:
Add apple pieces, water, and brown sugar to a large saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and reduce heat to a simmer for about 25 minutes, or until apples are soft. Uncover and bring heat up a bit to evaporate some water (about 6 minutes). Turn heat off, mash the apples to make an applesaucy texture with a potato masher or a fork, and add lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir well and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

*Note - I left the skins of the apples on. It adds lots of extra fiber and nutrients, and gives the applesauce a little crunch. If you prefer a smoother applesauce, peel the apples before you core and chop them.