PREP: 1 hour COOK: 25 minutes PROCESS: 15 minutes (half-pints) or 20 minutes (pints) MAKES: 6 pints or 3 quarts

Applesauce

What You’ll Need

8 lb. cooking apples, cored and quartered (24 cups)

2 cups water

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, strained

¾ to 1¼ cups sugar

How to Make It

1. In an 8- to 10-qt. heavy pot combine apples, the water, and lemon juice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 25 to 30 minutes until apples are very tender, stirring often.

2. Press apples through a food mill or sieve. Return pulp to pot; discard skins. Stir in sugar to taste. If necessary, add ½ to 1 cup water for desired consistency. Bring to boiling.

3. Ladle hot applesauce into six hot sterilized pint canning jars or three quart jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands. Process in a boiling-water canner 15 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on racks. (Canning tips, pages 461–466.)

Spiced Applesauce: Prepare as directed, except add 10 inches stick cinnamon and 1½ tsp. apple pie spice in Step 1. Simmer as directed. Remove stick cinnamon and discard. Substitute ¾ cup packed brown sugar for the granulated sugar. Stir in enough additional brown sugar to taste (¼ to ¾ cup).

Very Berry Applesauce: Prepare as directed, except replace 1 lb. (4 cups) of the apples with 1 lb. (4 cups) fresh or frozen thawed raspberries and/or strawberries and decrease the water to 1½ cups in Step 1. Continue as directed.

Freezer Directions: Place pot of applesauce in a sink filled with ice water; stir mixture to cool. Ladle into wide-mouth freezer containers, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Seal and label; freeze up to 8 months.

PER ½ CUP APPLESAUCE, PLAIN OR VARIATIONS: 81 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 1 mg sodium, 21 g carb., 2 g fiber, 0 g pro.