I am surrounded by apples. The preschool just completed their fall fundraiser apple sale and shelves and drawers and bowls are now spilling over with fragrant red and yellow fruit.
And I just finished reading The Orchard
by Theresa Weir. Have you read it? It's both a memoir of her time living on an apple farm in Henderson County, Illinois in the seventies and eighties and a parable of the dangers of conventional farming. She experiences firsthand the effects that pesticides and other farm chemicals have on the families whose livelihood is raising our food. The book reads like chick lit - it's a quick, easy read - there's romance - but at the same time, it makes real what for many is just a vague idea - that there is a human cost to that piece of cheap flawless fruit in the grocery store that is far greater than what we are paying.
And then my weekly produce box showed up, with more apples.
So when I came across a recipe I wanted to try that called for applesauce, I thought, there is no flipping way that I am buying a jar of flipping applesauce.
And I love Amelia Saltsman
's technique for making it at home. You cut the apples in half, roast them, and then scrape out the soft flesh. It could not be easier. She suggests you roast the apples with thyme and use a smidgen of calvados or cider to deglaze the pan, and that makes me want to throw a Hannukah party for grown-ups. But my day to day applesauce needs are for the 2 to 5 year old set and their simple palates. I did throw a few beautiful yellow pears into the mix that had recently fallen prey to a dangerous game of fridge jenga, and they added a nice floral sweetness to the sauce. Also, it's important to note - if you use a red variety of apple, your sauce will blush a beautiful rosy pink. That color, and the smell of roasting apples filling your house, just cannot be bought in a jar at Trader Joe's.
Super Easy Baked Applesauce
Heat the oven to 400. Halve and core your apples. 3 pounds of apples will get you about 6 cups of applesauce and will fit on a half sheet pan, but you can use as many or as few apples as you like. Pears work nicely too. Arrange them cut side down on the pan, and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the apples are soft. A knife should easily pierce the skin.
Scrape the flesh from the skin. Don't let any juices go to waste - scrape those off the pan too.
For a slightly chunky sauce, mash with a fork. If you're going for a smoother consistency, puree with an immersion blender.
Or if you prefer a printable version of this recipe -
Download Super Easy Baked Applesauce
P.S. I'm experimenting with ads to pay for the groceries - we'll see how it goes - if it's just too irritating or not worth it, I'll take them down, but man, would it be nice to pay for the groceries.
