One of my favorite things to do with apples is make applesauce. When the kids are left loose in the house with whole apples, we end up with a lot of waste, since the kids will raid the fridge for them when I'm not looking and I'll find nasty old partially eaten apples all over the house every time I clean. With applesauce, they usually need help to get it, so there is more portion control and a lot less waste. Plus it is tasty as heck! It's also surprising easy to make.
Applesauce
apples
water
cinnamon
Peel (some recipes say the peeling is optional, but my children tell me it is not) and core apples. Cut into slices or chunks. Put in a large pot with a little water, about 1 1/2 cups per 5 pounds of apples. Cook until tender. Mash with a potato masher until desired consistency. Stir in cinnamon to taste. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace (do NOT overfill. Cleaning the canner after a jar's top pops off is no fun). Adjust 2 piece caps and process in water bath canner for 20 minutes. May also be frozen, if preferred.
I *highly* recommend this tool:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fitsmybudget.com/Maxam-Table-Top-Apple-Peeler-Corer-Slicer-with-Suction-Base-KTAPPLE-p-30959.html
For $10 or so, you get peeled, cored, AND sliced apples, all at once. I believe you can also set it so it peels and cores but doesn't slice, but you'd have to check. Different brands have different abilities. In any case, this device is easy enough for kids to use, and suddenly the CHORE of peeling and coring your apples becomes the GAME they desire to play! Not to mention it reduces process time to less than 30 seconds per apple, probably more like 10 seconds.