Once you have eaten fresh, homemade applesauce, there is no going back to the sad, canned stuff! This recipe is simple, quick, and will make your kitchen smell incredible while it is cooking. Although you can use any type of apple, if you use apples that are bursting with flavor – especially ones picked fresh from your local orchard – then your applesauce will taste even better! If you would like to substitute stevia or another sugar substitute for the brown sugar, use one teaspoon of stevia for the 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar called for in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium apples
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Juice of one lemon (or around 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
• ¼ cup water
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• Pinch kosher salt, nutmeg, and cloves

Directions:

1. Peel and core the apples, then cut into very small chunks.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine apples, water, and lemon juice. Cook on high until mixture reaches a boil, and then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and then cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft (about 10-20 minutes)
4. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/2 cup | Servings per recipe: around 6 | Calories: 91, total fat: 0.2 g, saturated fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 49.1 mg, carbohydrates: 21.4 g, fiber: 1.9 g, sugar: 20 g, protein: 0.4 gPhoto: Snapdragon apples, courtesy of Kevin Maloney/Dept. of Horticulture. From the Almanack archive