My Grandma was known for having quite a few winning recipes throughout the years, one of them being her amazing applesauce. My sister especially, who never ate your standard Thanksgiving dinner staples growing up, always remembers Grandma's applesauce as the best part of dinner at my grandparents' table. Sweet, chunky, and unlike anything you find at the grocery store, her recipe has always been a family favorite.
I, like an idiot, decided to recreate Grandma's applesauce while also unpacking our office a few weekends ago. Thirty minutes into cooking, I remembered it was on the stove and ran back to discover zero chunks left in my sauce and a nice black-bottomed Dutch Oven. So much for Grandma's "winning recipe"...
Needless to say, I ended up saving it from the burned monster at the bottom and it didn't turn out half bad! I wished it was chunky, and it didn't taste exactly like Grandma's, but it was still really tasty. I love the idea of this recipe because it's so customizable; experiment with apple type, amount of sugar, amount of water, etc. Try something different and let me know how it goes! (Note: don't leave it alone while you're unpacking if you want it chunky and unburned. You probably figured that out yourself though.)
Grandma's Applesauce
4 pounds (12 cups) tart apples, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of water
Place apples in a dutch oven. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar and simmer for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Add more water and sugar to taste; I used the whole cup of water and only 1/4 cup of sugar. Simmer until apples are small, soft chunks. Cool and serve.
