I have never made applesauce before. But after an apple-picking trip in Wisconsin with some of my booze pie enthusiasts, I lugged home a half peck of Ida Red, Jonathan, and Cortland apples to cook up. I made an apple pie in Wisconsin so I wasn't interested in doing that again (although the Joy of Cooking recipe for pies is excellent).
This recipe is also adapted from the Joy of Cooking which I find to be my default I-need-a-basic-recipe source. It was really good! gws made me break up the chunks so it was a little smoother but you can put it through a food mill to make it more like the store bought stuff. I like it with bits of apple though. It would taste really good with ice cream.
Peel, core and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 pounds cooking apples
Combine in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot with:
1/2 - 3/4 cup apple cider depending on juciness of apples
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice depending on tartness of apples
1 cinnamon stick
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes.
Stir in:
1/2 to 3/4 cup turbinado sugar or 6 tablespoons mild honey
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Cook one minute longer to dissolve the sugar, uncovered, stirring frequently. If you would like a smooth sauce, run through a food mill. If you want it chunkier, just break up the bigger bits with a wooden spoon.
