I have tried several unsuccessful recipes for apple sauce, but this one works perfectly. This is a pink apple sauce of refreshing tartness, and very, very simple to make. It was suggested by Martha Stewart. Three or four apples will make a little more than a cup of sauce, fine for one or two people. The assortment of apples available in my supermarket is limited, but I am experimenting. The McIntosh apple, a small red apple with smooth, white flesh, seems to make excellent applesauce. Braeburns make good apple sauce, but it is difficult to separate the peels. I shall try the easily available Red Delicious, but I do not expect much from this rather inferior apple. You will also need a lemon.
Quarter the apples, and then cut out the stems and cores with a paring knife. Put the apple quarters in a saucepan, and add the juice of half a lemon. Then heat over a medium heat for about 30 minutes. It's done when the apples are soft, and the peels come off easily. Mash the apples gently with a potato masher, and pick the peels out with a fork. Now stir it a little, put in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator. A taste of the warm sauce can reward you.
Martha puts in a cinnamon stick, and removes it with the peels, saying that ground cinnamon affects the limpid beauty of the applesauce. I find that adding a little ground cinnamon is fine. Sugar can be added, but Martha and I think it is unnecessary. The tartness of this applesauce is one of its advantages.
Composed by J. B. Calvert
Created 19 December 2003
Last revised 13 January 2004