Honey Sweetened Applesauce

There is this wonderful thing in our area called Bountiful Baskets. It is a co-op organization where you get a laundry basket full of fruits and veggies for a really good price. I have just recently started buying produce from them and have loved it! The only downfall is that a laundry basket full of fruits and veggies can sometimes be a lot for me and my husband to get through. I am proud to say that we have eaten most of it without too much going bad first (if you know my husband you know this is practically a miracle). Well I had a few apples left over and am planning on getting another basket this week so I decided to make some applesauce out of it. I LOVE homemade applesauce. We grew up on the homemade kind. My mom would always bottle a bunch every year or so. I didn't really ever try the store bought kind until later on in my life and let me tell you there is no comparison! Maybe it is because I am in charge of how sweet it is, or maybe it just tastes better because it is fresh, but there is a huge difference. This was my first time trying it with honey as the sweetener and I think it turned out quite fantastic. This makes a fairly small batch so feel free to double or triple it.

Honey Sweetened Applesauce

2 lbs apples cored, peeled, and chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup water or apple juice

Directions:

1. Mix apples with honey and place in saucepan. Over medium heat, bring apples to a boil. Maintaining a medium temperature will allow the apples to release their juices but if there is any concern about scorching or burning, add water or apple cider 1/4 cup at a time as needed.
2. Allow the apples to boil, stirring often, until soft, usually 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Once the apples are soft, taste for sweetness. Add additional honey and/or spices if using.
4. Boil another five minutes or so to blend the flavors. Do not overcook or the honey will begin to turn the sauce very brown and possibly scorch.
5. Remove the pot from the heat. If canning the sauce, use a hot pack method and a hot water bath. If the applesauce is to be frozen, allow the sauce to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Seasonal Cooking @ Suite 101