Pink Pearl Applesauce

We love Apple Crostata, but after a dozen or so, we need a break.  Me from making them, and all of us from eating too much of the buttery crust.  So, it's time to move on to something healthier and as an added bonus, use up even more of our apple harvest!

There's really no recipe.  You just peel, core, and chop up as many apples as you like.  We happen to have a lot of "Pink Pearl" apples on hand right now, so that's what I'm using.  You can use any kind of apple or better yet, make it from a mix of varieties.   Put them into a non-reactive saucepan, add enough liquid so the apples don't scorch as you cook them, and simmer covered until soft.

For the liquid, you can use water, but I like to add some juice for extra fruit flavor.  I've used straight up apple juice, apple cranberry juice and even apple kiwi strawberry juice concentrate.  The latter two help play up the ruby hue in the "Pink Pearl" apples.

In this particular batch, I put in  3-4 spoonfuls of the concentrate, then added water to a depth of about 1".  I also like to add some fresh lemon juice which although it sounds like it might make the applesauce sour, it actually brightens and highlights the apple flavor.

I covered the pot, stirred occasionally and simmered for about 20 minutes.  I like a chunkier applesauce, so I just left it at that.  If you like it smoother, you can always use a stick blender or food processor and puree it.

Note:  If you can't be around while the applesauce is cooking, you can put everything into a slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hrs or LOW for 4-5 hrs.  Use a little less liquid as the slow cooker seals in a lot of the moisture.

We'll have it on pancakes on the weekends, but mostly we'll just have it straight up - at breakfast, as an afternoon snack or even after dinner as dessert.  Yum!


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