CrockPot Apple Sauce

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

-10 Apples (They don’t all need to be the same size or kind, and don’t worry if they have a bruise or two.  They’re all going to end up mushy and brown anyway.)

-1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

-1/2 Cup Water

-1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

-1/3 Cup Brown Sugar (Please note that while adding the brown sugar, you MUST sing the Rolling Stones.)

-A CrockPot or slow cooker

This recipe is really super easy and delicious and idiot proof, so get excited!  It’s great for chilly fall days, or an easy after school snack for kids (it does take a couple hours to cook, so if you want it ready when they get home, start around lunch time).  I also have a couple friends who have used similar recipes for preschool or elementary school classes.

First, make sure your apples are washed and dried.  Peel all the apples and either use a corer or cut them into fourths and cut out the core by hand.  Cut all of these pieces into chunks, usually about two bites worth in size.  If you’re doing this as a class project you’re probably going to want a grownup do that part.  Little fingers hold a surprisingly large amount of blood…

Anyway, throw all the chunks in the crock pot and add the water, cinnamon and both types of sugar.  Mix it all around a bit with a big wooden spoon so all the good stuff isn’t just sitting on the top.  We don’t want the apples on the bottom to feel left out.

Now, just throw on the lid, plug it in and set it to high for 2 to 3 hours.  If you’re feeling useless and uninvolved during the wait, feel free to stir it around a bit.  When the time’s up, go in with a potato masher and release all your pent up rage.  It can be as chunky or smooth as you like, it’s all a matter of taste.  Put the lid back on and turn the cooker down to low and let it cook for another hour or so.  It’s just apples, so there really isn’t a risk of under cooking anything, it’s more a matter of the fruit being soft enough.

And look at that, you’re done.

It can either be eaten hot or cold, or in my case served warm over a scoop of vanilla ice cream (holy crap, it’s delicious.  I’ve thought about building monuments in its honor…).

All in all, about 20 minutes of prep, depending on how fast you peel, and 4ish hours of cook time.  I got my apples at an orchard so they were a little cheaper, but the cost is just a bag of apples, not too bad.

E