After moving earlier this year back up to Silver Spring (a suburb of DC where I lived when I first moved here over 5 years ago), the boyfriend and I made a tradition of Saturday morning trips to the Farmer’s Market. I absolutely love walking through the Market, picking up fresh, locally-grown produce each week. I’ve become especially fond of Three Springs Fruit Farm, not only because their produce is fabulous but because they also do online bulk orders. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably seen my photos of canned peaches, jams, and jellies, most of which I made with fruits I picked up from Three Springs. While it’s been a challenge to figure out what to do with 50 lbs of peaches, 40 lbs of tomatoes, or 25 lbs of apples, it’s definitely been fun!
After picking up a crate of Golden Delicious apples a few weeks ago, I was left with just a few pounds to use. I decided I wanted to make applesauce, but I was going to make a small batch to freeze and bake with since I’m not a big applesauce eater. Until the boyfriend ordered Pork Chops with Brandied Applesauce at a local restaurant. That’s when the little lightbulb when on in my head. Apples + brandy = yum!
So I used up the last of the Golden Delicious apples, along with some Honeycrisp left in the fridge, and a few Gala and Macintosh apples I picked up later. (I’ve since picked up another 25-lb crate of apples to use for Thanksgiving!) And the process was super easy. First, you peel, core, and chop the apples in to quarters. If you have a food mill and want a less-chunky sauce, you can omit the peeling and coring and just quarter the apple instead. But I like a good, chunky applesauce with a bit of a bite to it!
Then you throw the apples in a large pot with some apple cider, brandy, brown sugar, and spices, then cook and mash. Now, I may get some flack about adding things to my applesauce because plain applesauce is perfectly fine. But this recipe isn’t for your ordinary applesauce, and trust me, it’s totally worth it! The applesauce is ahhh-mazing as-is, but you can stir a little bit of honey in if you like it slightly sweeter. Or use it to top pork chops, pancakes, ice cream, or anything else you desire!
Click below for the recipe. If you have a question, feel to ask in the comment section below. And check back in next week to see what I make with the applesauce! Enjoy! 🙂
Pie With Sparkles 