How to Make Applesauce

There are many ways to make applesauce but, more or less, all of them follow a basic pattern. Here's one way, as described by a reader in a comment to a post I wrote last week about Mott's Applesauce.

"My mom made the BEST applesauce with the windfall apples in our yard. Probably Macintosh, but not 100% sure on that. She just chunked 'em up, added a little water, cooked slowly for a long time, tasted to see if sugar was even needed, then ran 'em through a food mill to distribute the pinkish apple skin throughout. I don't think she canned them, I think she probably froze it in her chest freezer."

Try to use organic apples if possible. If not, I would recommend peeling conventional (aka sprayed with pesticides) apples. Add some cinnamon if you like. Prefer your applesauce chunky? Don't run the cooked apples through a food mill. Want a smoother consistency but don't have a food mill? Mash with a fork or potato masher.

A pinch of unrefined sea salt helps bring out flavor. Use any type of apple you have, but be aware that some varieties are sweeter than others. It's not essential to cook for that long; you can mash them once they turn soft, which shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.

Make sure your flame isn't too high, otherwise the apples may burn on the bottom of the pot. (The water helps prevent this.) A lid isn't completely necessary but will slow moisture loss, therefore protecting against burning. If possible/you remember, stir occasionally.