Apples, apples, and more apples

Our first project was harvesting pounds of apples. Though we only have two trees they seemed to create a ridiculous amount of apples. I love apples, but even I max out at eating 2 or 3 a day. Applesauce was the first project, then dried apples, and finally apple butter - yum!

Applesauce recipe:
Cut apples into quarters (leave skins on as this adds to flavor) and put them in a big old pot with just a tiny bit of water. Cook at a low heat for a few hours until they fall apart when stirred. Toss into the blender and return to the heat. Stir in a bit of cinnamon and cook until desired consistency.
I wasn't yet up for canning so most of it I put into ziploc bags and stacked up in our freezer for later use. It tasted really good to eat fresh applesauce in February!

Dried Apples:
Cut apples into thin wedges and soak briefly in a bowl of water with a few lemons squeezed in. Spread out on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper and put in the oven at 150 degrees for 6-8 hours. Turn once. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Depending on how thin your slices on they'll take more or less time. Some we left in longer so they got crispy like apple chips.
Even with the lemon juice they don't keep forever. I stored them in the fridge.


Apple Butter:
I tried a few different recipes. Most call for peeling the apples, but again I found the taste was better with the skins on (though its some work to remove them later). I put the apple wedges from about 12-14 apples in a big pot with about a cup of apple cider, 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and let it cook at a low heat for HOURS. I then strained the skins out (which took a bit of work), whizzed it in the blender and returned it to the pot. I added less sugar than most recipes recommended (about 1/2 to 1 cup) as I liked the tartness. I cooked it another few hours, stirring frequently until it was nice and thick. I tried using the slow cooker but it didn't work as well for some reason (maybe not enough evaporation). I put it in jars and froze most of them (still haven't faced canning). The apple cider and cider vinegar are what make this recipe my favorite.

The apples that didn't make the cut added to the compost pile!