Homemade Apple Sauce

With an abundance of apples in the house and after innumerable batches of Apple Pies and Apple Crumbles finally decided to freeze the apples in the form of sauce so that it can be used later when apples are not in season.Apple Sauce in my household gets used in the form of cakes or in tarts ,a tasty accompaniment with meat dishes or just like that in a bowl with a dollop of Icecream or fresh cream.Apple sauce can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for 7-8 days and in the freezer for nearly 2 months.Apple cider or Apple juice in the recipe gives a stronger apple flavour to the sauce but it's optional.Once stored the apple sauce has a tendency to settle down with a layer of liquid on top.It just needs a stir before using it.

You Require
6 medium sized Apples ( for 3 cups of Sauce)
3/4C water or Apple cider or Apple juice
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg

Method

• Peel and core all the apples and cut them into dices.
• In a saucepan add the cider or juice or water to the apples and put it on the fire for 15-20 mins on medium heat till the apples are stewed soft and mushy.
• Check the liquid level in the pot and add more if it's dry and sticking to the sides.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice and zest and cinnamon( optional) and remove from heat.
• Purée in a grinder for a smoother texture or mash it with a wooden spoon if you like little chunks of apples in the sauce.
• Cool,store in bottles and refrigerate.