We went apple picking last weekend in an effort to enjoy a beautiful Fall afternoon in Virginia. The weather was warm and sunny and apples were still available to pick. So, between baseball we fought our bodies desires to just sit and we took to the hills...with everyone else!
The pickings were slim and while we couldn't find many red snacking apples, we found a lot of Granny Smith. Fine with me! I knew these would be good for baking and also that they would keep for awhile. That's one of the many beauties of apple picking. Unlike peaches or berries, you can pick and pick and know the fruit won't all be ripe and need eating within a week!
So far we've made Joanna Gaines' apple pie recipe and an apple baked oatmeal. We've also made this slow cooker apple sauce. I called it apple pie filling applesauce because next time I'd omit the sugar all together. You can do that if you'd like! I wanted there to be enough spice in this and there definitely is! It's amazing how quickly and easily this cooked down, and how quickly we've cooked through it!
You could freeze this if you don't eat it within a week or so. Fun fact, my Mom loves when applesauce is still a bit frozen. It reminds her of her grandma and she claims it also tastes like ice cream. We enjoyed this warm, and cold. Given the sugar, it's also a great healthier dessert option!
Ingredients You'll Need
8 apples, Granny Smith preferred, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water
Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 6 hours!
That's it! I didn't need to mash it with anything. After 6 hours I liked the little bit of chunky apple left in there. We ate some warm and the rest was stored in the fridge!
