Homemade Applesauce-Clean Eating Style

A great dessert or snack or breakfast treat. When you have a daughter that lives near Apple Hill and she calls to say a 40 pound box of apples is $14 you jump at the opportunity to share a box. Even though it took me a few weeks to pick up my apples, and they did not look as fresh as they had, I knew I was going to make applesauce so the appearance of the apples was not a deterrent. I set aside a morning to have fun in the kitchen making the applesauce and it went so fast, I was done in under 2 hours.

Ingredients
20 apples (about 8 pounds of apples-I used golden delicious and granny smith)
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 lemon peel grated off
4 tablespoons lemon juice (2 lemons juiced)
⅓ cup honey (original recipe calls for ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup white sugar)
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon salt

If you have a vintage cone shaped food mill you can make your applesauce without peeling your apples. To purchase one click here. Otherwise, peel, core and chop the apples. Place into a big pot with all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the apples are soft. If you have a food mill put 2 cups of apples at a time into collander and press applesauce through the strainer with the pestle. Place applesauce into 1 quart Ball jars and seal according to canning directions or place in refrigerator and use up within 2 weeks. My recipe made 3 quarts.

I  love homemade applesauce with plain yogurt as a wonderful snack or dessert. YUMMY!

What is one of your favorite healthy desserts?