Cinnamon Applesauce

My grandma had apple trees in her yard and always made applesauce from her autumn harvest. Cinnamon Applesauce. Sweet, tart, chunky applesauce. So yummy and delicious!
She gave me a sackful of apples when I was in college, my first summer away from home. The dormitory had closed for the summer so I had rented an apartment with another girl and had my very own kitchen. Small, but it had a refrigerator and a stove.
What did I do with all those apples? I made a pie. And applesauce. My grandma’s recipe.
My Grandma’s Recipe
Her apples were green. My mom never knew which variety. Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or something else. But they were tart, and they made great applesauce.
From time to time, I still get a sack of apples in the fall–now from my folks who have apple trees on their land. My dad loves to make apple cider, so this only happens when my mom steals a few from his stash. And then I’ll make a homemade apple pie. Or applesauce. My grandma’s recipe.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Applesauce
- cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- water
- granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
Simple Instructions for Making This Recipes
Using a pairing knife, peel, slice and core the apples. You may also opt to use an apple corer to save time.
The apples above came from my mom and dad’s apple tree, and are sweeter than a green apple. This still makes a wonderful applesauce.
In large saucepan, combine apples and water. Cook until the apples are soft, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Once the apples are soft, add in the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
Using a potato masher, finish mashing any large pieces. Stir to combine. I like my applesauce chunky.
From here, you may eat, can, or freeze as you desire. If freezing, allow the applesauce to cool to room temperature.
This recipe makes 6 cups, so I’ll usually pour some in plastic containers and store them in the freezer. We enjoy eating it fresh, but I also like using it in recipes. Like my Chocolate Applesauce Cake (also my grandma’s recipe).
Our youngest daughter loves homemade applesauce. It always made her especially happy to come home from school and smell it simmering on the stove. She’s married now and has her own place in the country. I look forward to the day when I can take her a sack of my dad’s apples. So she can make a homemade apple pie. Or Cinnamon Applesauce. My grandma’s recipe.
Cinnamon Applesauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds cooking apples peeled, cored and sliced (12 cups)
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a pairing knife, peel, slice and core the apples. You may also opt to use an apple corer to save time.
- In a large saucepan, combine the prepared apples and water. Cook until apples are soft, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
- Stir in the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until combined.
- Use a potato masher to mash any remaining large pieces and stir everything together. (I like my applesauce chunky, so I don't worry too much about this.)
- From here, you may eat, can or freeze as you desire. Makes 6 cups.