Apple Sauce

Homemade apple sauce is a great way to consume my backyard apples that is not sweet.

Ingredients

Apples - 4 lbs (about 8 to 10 apples, depending on the size), peeled, cored, and quartered
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar - 3 tablespoons (or to taste)

Lemon peels - 2 strips (optional)
Sugar - Up to 1/2 cup, can sub half with brown sugar
Ground cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Steps

1. Place the peeled, cored, and quartered apples into a large pot. Add the strips of lemon peel, the lemon juice or vinegar, cinnamon, sugar, water and salt. (You might want to start with half the sugar at this point and add more to taste later.)
2. Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower the temperature, cover the pot, and maintain a low simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the apples are completely tender and cooked through.
3. Remove lemon peels, purée cooked apple using blender.

Note: 

If the applesauce is too thick, add more water to thin it out. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste. If too sweet, add more lemon juice.

This applesauce recipe is perfect for canning. If using a water-bath canner, process pint jars for 15 minutes and quarts for 20 minutes at sea level.
Freezes well and will last at least 1 year in a cold freezer. If you freeze it, make sure to allow enough headroom (at least 1 inch) in your jar for expansion.