Note: use varieties that are suitable for cooking, such as Granny Smith, McIntosh, Fuji, or Golden Delicious.
Follow these steps to prepare the apples:- Peel the apples and remove the cores.- Cut each apple into four equal pieces.- Put the apple pieces in a large pot.- Add the lemon peel strips, lemon juice or vinegar, cinnamon, sugar, water and salt to the pot. To cook the apples, start by boiling them over high heat. Then, reduce the heat and put a lid on the pot. Let them simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are mashable tender.
After cooking the apples, take the pot off the heat and discard the lemon peels. Then, crush the apples until they are smooth.
To make a chunky applesauce, mash the cooked apples in the pot with a potato masher. If you want a smoother applesauce, you have three options: use a food mill, a stick blender, or a standing blender to purée the cooked apples. (If you use a standing blender, fill the blender bowl only halfway)
To adjust the consistency of the applesauce, you can add some water if it is too thick.
If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste. If it's too sweet, add more lemon juice.