Last week I made apple sauce for the first time.

I have an apple tree in my back yard. The fruit finally ripened and the tree was hanging heavy with the fruit. I thought that the branches were going to start snapping.

I signed up with this charity organization in town called City Fruit. They help maintain fruit trees on public and private property in the Seattle area. When the fruit is ready, they will harvest it for you, leaving some behind for you and taking the rest to local food banks. It is really a win-win. My tree gets harvested, so I don’t have to pick up rotting fruit from the ground for the next month, and I’m helping out the needy in my area. Pretty cool deal.

So they came and took away two large boxes of apples and left me with a giant tub of “imperfect” apples that they couldn’t take to the food bank. What was I to do with so many apples?

Then Applefest 2012 began.

I spent the entire afternoon washing, peeling, coring and slicing apples. I made an apple pie, handheld mini pies, and a ton of apple sauce. I had never made apple sauce before, though now I have no idea why. It was insanely easy and made delicious sauce that I’ll be enjoying for the foreseeable future.

I stored the sauce in these adorable little mason jars I got at the store. We ate a ton the week that I made it, the rest I froze in these mason jars. I figure when I pack lunches in the evening for the next day, I can put one of the frozen apple sauces in the bag and they’ll be ready to eat by the next day.

If you’ve never made apple sauce, give it a try. It makes your house smell wonderful and requires little attention once you get it all in the pot. Then just enjoy.

Apple Sauce

6-8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup unfiltered apple juice
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a pot, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes until apples are soft. Mash and taste. Depending on the tartness of the apples, you might want more honey. Cool and store.