Cheryl's Spicy Homemade Applesauce

We lived in Virginia for 14 years in apple country. In the autumn when there was a cold snap in the air, corn mazes in the fields, wine tasting at all the vineyards, Fall Festivals all over the county, and all the varieties of apples, grown in NW Virginia and just over the border in West Virginia, filled the roadside farmers markets, I'd buy bushel baskets of apples at a time and make homemade applesauce. My very favorite apple to eat is Honey Crisp. You can make this applesauce out of your favorite, but I recommend Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith (or a mixture of your choosing).

8 - apples, peeled, cored and cubed (best are granny smith, honey crisp, and golden delicious)

1/2 - cup packed brown sugar

1/2 - cup water

1 - teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; stir to mix. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or on high setting for 3-4 hours. 

When done stir with a wooden spoon. Gently crush applesauce against the side of the slow cooker to desired consistency. 

I used my immersion blender with the blade attachment until I had the consistency of applesauce. 

Eaten warm with some homemade oatmeal cookies right after it's done is amazing.

 

Dwight and I at on the "Farm Tour" in Virginia riding in a hay wagon.

Bear's Den on the Appalachian Trail (close to our house)

The beautiful scenery in Loudoun County near Middleburg.