Recipe: Crockpot Applesauce

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I got some early apples.  Yummy.  Unfortunately, they are too tart to eat straight...

They are also kind of soft, and wouldn't do well in baked goods.

Applesauce it is.

If there's anything that smells better than apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, I'm not sure I'm aware of it. I don't wear perfume, but if I did, it would be something along those lines.

I wanted to make this applesauce without any added sugar, but it was just too tart.  Add a little maple syrup, and you've got something special.

Crockpot Applesauce

1 peck apples, cored and sliced  (I like my applesauce with the skins on, so that it turns pink)
1 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
~1/4 c maple syrup, to taste

Thanks to my brother for bringing me Penzey's cinnamon... no Penzey's in Vermont, alas.

Place all ingredients in a crockpot (mine is 5 1/2 quarts, and it was pretty full).  Cook on low for 8 hours.

All cooked down.  My house smells fantastic.

Running it through my chinois

Only peels left

Run through a food mill or a chinois, stir in maple syrup if some sweetness is needed, and enjoy.

Yummy!