For the past 10 years, it has been a family tradition to go apple picking on my birthday since it falls on what is usually the prime apple-picking weekend of the season. The first year we went, we barely made it into the orchard before a bee stung my infant daughter and we high-tailed it out of there. The second year, we fared better and were able to fill a bag. Fast-forward to this year and I find myself limiting each of the four members of my family to only one bag each.
I am not sure if its because my kids feel so good about picking and choosing the apples themselves or if the apples really do taste that much better or if it’s a combination of the two, but Billy and Maya can’t get enough of “their own” apples.
Besides the classic apple a day, my kids love including the fruits of their labours (excuse the terrible pun) in a variety of way, their favourite being our homemade applesauce. They just can’t get enough of it.
Before I give you this recipe, I do need to issue a warning that once you taste your very own homemade applesauce, you’ll never be able to go back to store-bought; its just doesn’t compare. Luckily, it is so quick and easy, you won’t mind making it…again and again and again.
The recipe
Ingredients:
3 large or 4 medium apples (Macintosh and Cortland work best),
¾ cup of water
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
Special equipment:
1-500ml clean glass jar
immersion hand-blender
Directions:
Mix water and brown sugar in a medium saucepan & stir.
While the sugar & water are warming, peel, core, and cut your apples into chunks.
Add apples to the saucepan and bring up to a low boil. Turn down the heat a bit and let simmer for about 20 min, stirring occasionally, or until your apples are really soft when you poke a fork into them.
Remove from heat, add in cinnamon, and using the hand-blender, puree until smooth. Taste & add more cinnamon, if you want.
Let cool and pour into clean glass jar. This will stay good in your fridge for about a week or so…if it lasts that long.
*Note: Since my family loves this recipe so much, I often make 4-5 jars of it at a time, especially right after apple picking. If you also want to make a whole bunch at once, sterilize your jars first (this can be done in the dishwasher) and then boil the filled jars in a water bath (a stock pot filled with enough water to cover the jars) for 30 minutes. After that, you applesauce will keep in your cupboard for 1-2 months.
Assalammualaikum YBhg Tun,
I agree with you that when it comes to Anwar Bin Ibrahim things are as simple as Anwar has an insatiable ambitions of becoming the PM of Malaysia. I remembered that Tun said that Anwar will never be the PM via UMNO and such statement only infuriate him.
As I’ve said many times that the current spate of controversies and allegations will cost the 27 million odds rakyat as more resources will be used to discuss whether Anwar is right or wrong; whether Najib is now peeing in his pants; Pak Lah and KJ will be the ultimate beneficiaries from all of this so called conspiracy.
Back to the cuurent Anwar issue. You’ve faced this challenged ten years ago. I believed in you then and still believe in you now. For me, whatever befall Anwar is from his own doing. He is an opportunist who will not stop at nothing to get what he wants. He almost got away with it in 1998 when his stooge openly attacked you during the UMNO convention. You survived the attack and neutralised Anwar. But now he is back with a vengeance and he is willing to dig thousands of graves to exact his revenge on you. That is why, the 27 millions odd rakyat means nothing to him. To Anwar Bin Ibrahim, only himself that matter, everybody else is expandable.
So, Tun, please continue to provide your invaluable insights and thoughts on how do we ride through this storm.
LoyalCitizen
SHAH ALAM
I like them apples!! Homemade applesauce is the best. Plus, cute kid! (I’m biased…)
Yum! We have an apple tree on our property up north and we pick apples every fall. Usually, though, they sit around and we end up throwing most of them out (hangs head in shame). What can I do with them that is really easy other than just eating them raw? I am no chef or baker.
Home made IS so much nicer!! Sadly, my kids just don’t enjoy applesauce – dunno why. I used to make it for them when they were tiny, and they’d eat it all up… not anymore. Le sigh. It’s a great way to use up all them apples though!!