Chunky Applesauce

Applesauce is delicious, healthy, and really easy to make. It's the perfect snack, topping, or side dish. It's excellent served on french toast, pancakes, or crepes. It's delicious served along with potatoes, cous-cous, or quinoa. Homemade apple sauce is so much better than store-bought that it kind of should have its own name. Applesauce keeps well refrigerated in a sealed container for about a week...it never lasts more than a couple days at our house. You can use a variety of apples when making applesauce. If you see apples on sale that may not be good on their own, they are probably perfect for applesauce.

This recipe makes about 4 cups.

• 4 apples, such as Gala, Red Delicious, Golden...green apples will give you a much tarter sauce.
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey (adjust depending on the sweetness of your apples...some don't need any sugar added at all. You can also add more as you're making it.)
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
  
• pinch of salt
  
• juice of one lemon
• handful or dried cranberries to garnish (optional)

1. Thinly slice and dice the well-washed apples (I don't peel them as most recipes call for and it always turns out great.)
2. Put all ingredients in a pot and combine well. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot.
3. On medium heat, simmer the apple mix until softened, about 15 minutes. Add more water if needed. Mash the apples with a potato masher (the back side of a fork will work too) and simmer an aditional 5 minuites.
4. If you want your applesauce to be supper smooth, pass it through the blender or food processor and then through a sieve, discarding chunks. Peeling the apples also makes it smoother.
   
5. Serve hot or cold.