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This recipe, from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, was shared during Markās interview with Calvin Trillin on Food with Mark Bittman.
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Applesauce
Makes: About 2 quarts
Time: About 1 hour, mostly unattended
Most people think of applesauce as sweet, but I prefer a neutral approach that allows for savory seasonings. See the list that follows for some ideas.
A food mill is the easiest way to go and produces the best applesauce, because the peels lend both their flavor and color, and thereās no need to do the up-front work: If you donāt have one, you must core and peel the apples before cooking.
Make as much applesauce as your time and the size of your pot allow by doubling or tripling the quantity. Applesauce freezes well and is handy when packed in small containers.
Other fruits you can use: pear, peach, quince.
Ingredients:
5 pounds apples (preferably a mixture of varieties)
Salt
Instructions:
1. Cut the apples in half or, if theyāre very large, in quarters. If you donāt have a food mill, peel and core them. Put about 1/2 inch water and a pinch salt in a large pot and add the apples. Cover and turn the heat to medium.
2. When the water begins to boil, uncover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if the mixture threatens to burn on the bottom, until the apples break down and become mushy, at least 30 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
3. If you have a food mill, pass the mixture through it, discarding the solids that stay behind. If not, mash if you like with a fork or potato masher. Freeze or refrigerate.
Peel-On Applesauce:
More fiber, and with red apples, youāll get a slight rosy color, too. Core the apples without peeling in Step 1, then cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Proceed with the recipe, mashing them as described in Step 3.
9 Flavorings for Applesauce:
Just put any of the following ingredients into the pot along with the apples. Start with a teaspoon or so per 5 pounds apples, then taste and add a teaspoon at a time as needed.
1. Black pepper
2. Ground cumin, coriander, or caraway seeds
3. Minced fresh chile (like jalapenĢo or Thai), red chile flakes, or cayenne
4. Chipotle chiles, dried, or canned, with a little of the adobo sauce
5. Chopped fresh ginger (good with savory or sweet)
6. Roasted Garlic
7. Any spice blend
8. Granulated or brown sugar
9. A little grating of nutmeg, or ground cloves or allspice
ā Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition
Applesauce
Thank you for the recipe. We are heading to my home state of NH for the fairs, etc, we will be also picking apples at my friends' orchard! Cannot wait for the end of September!