Applesauce (with a hint of orange)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups of peeled, cored, and cubed apples (about 4 smallish ones, I used Royal Gala)

• 1/2 cup water

• (for traditional applesauce: one teaspoon lemon juice)

• zest of 1 orange (1 tbsp + 3/4 tsp, approx.)

• juice of 1 orange (5 tbsp)

• a few shakes of cinnamon

After the apples are peeled, cored (if you don’t have an apple corer just cut the apple into quarters then cut out the inner edges) and cubed, add to a small pot over medium heat with the 1/2 cup water and lemon juice. If you’re making traditional applesauce stop here, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is gone, about 20 minutes. Then let cool 5 minutes and blend till smooth.

If you’re going for the orange, leave out the lemon juice. Zest an entire orange- I used the small section of a cheese grater for this- and add to the pot. Then squeeze the juice from the same orange, scoop out the seeds with a fork, and add the juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is gone, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes. Then spoon it all into the blender and blend till smooth. Makes approx. 1 cup of applesauce.