makes about 8 quarts
1/2 bushel Jonamac apples (about 42 small apples), washed, cored, peeled (keep the peels), and sliced
2 C hot water
juice from six lemons
6 T brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1. Wash the apples. Core, peel, and slice each apple.
2. Save the peels and puree them in a food processor.
3. Place the diced apples in a 4 qt slow cooker bowl or large stock pot. Add in the pureed peels.
4. Pour in the water and lemon juice.
5. Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks. (Or season to your preference.)
6. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. If cooking on the stove, set the temperature to low, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
7. Stir every half hour or so.
8. Once the applesauce has come to a consistency that you prefer (the stovetop sauce took about 2-3 hours; the slow cooker took about 4-6 hours), add any additional seasoning if necessary, and then you are ready to can!
Consult the USDA Canning Guidelines (http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html) to process your applesauce.