This homemade applesauce has much more depth and flavor than the store-bought variety, plus, you get to control it! You can control how much sugar and cinnamon go into it. You get to add the kinds of apples you like. You can control the texture of the applesauce. You can add other spices, too, like nutmeg. That kind of control and ability to adjust for personal preference is one of the reasons I love cooking so much.

Makes about 1 cup of applesauce

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Ingredients

• 4 large apples, peeled and cored (I like a mixture of apples: 1 Granny Smith to round out 3 sweet red apples like Fuji or Pink Lady, but go with your preference!)

• 3/4 cup water

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (you can use granulated, but I like the rich flavor of brown sugar)

• pinch of salt (optional)

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Ingredients

1. Chop the peeled and cored apples into small chunks. The smaller they are, the faster they'll cook.

2. In a medium sauce-pot, add the chopped apples, the water, the cinnamon, the brown sugar, and just a pinch of salt. Cook the apples on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, covered, until easy to mash with a fork.

3. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash the applesauce until it resembles, well, applesauce! I like applesauce with a bit of texture to it, but mash to however smooth you want it. You can also blend it with an immersion blender or food processor to make super-smooth applesauce. 

4. Store in the fridge and enjoy however you want! Personally, I enjoy eating this applesauce with homemade latkes and sour cream.