TO ME, APPLESAUCE IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL FALL food. I have fond memories of wandering the antique apple orchard at the Bybee-Howell House on Sauvie Island, bundled up in layers against the chill, gathering windfall apples. Now my apples come from the orchards around Philadelphia but the ritual of chopping and simmering into sauce is the same. I like having supplies of this around for baking, cooking, and late-night snacking.
5 pounds/2.3 kg apples (a mix of varieties is best so choose your favorites; see note on page 47)
½ cup/120 ml apple juice or cider
2 whole star anise
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup/200 g (about) granulated sugar
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Peel and chop the apples. Put them in a large, nonreactive pot. Add the apple cider and star anise. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the fruit has broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the star anise. Using a potato masher or immersion blender, break down the fruit until it is a chunky sauce. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Taste and add as much sugar as your taste buds determine necessary.
Pour the applesauce into the prepared jars, leaving ¾ inch/18 mm headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (see page 11).
When the processing time is up, remove the canning pot from the heat and remove the lid. Let the jars sit in the pot for an additional 5 minutes to prevent the applesauce from reacting to the temperature change and bubbling out of the jars.