The apples on my backyard tree are ripening and it’s time to
get out my 60-year-old Foley Food Mill. I’ve had it since college days. It’s a
simple strainer fitted with a flat blade and a handle that makes it possible to
smush apples until the good stuff is separated from the seeds and skin which
remain in the bowl of the food mill.
I wash and quarter the apples then boil them for 10-12
minutes with a small amount of water until they are soft. Place the food mill
over a large bowl and scoop the apple pulp into it. Crank the handle four of
five times, then reverse the motion for a time or two. Repeat this process
until all you have left in the mill is seeds and skin.
While the applesauce is still hot, stir in sugar to taste or
none at all if you prefer. A bit of cinnamon is a good addition. Store in small
jars or plastic containers in the freezer.
There’s nothing better than homemade applesauce in the
middle of winter.
And winter is just around the corner. I remember mushing cooked apples through a pointy strainer with a wooden musher by hand. My assigned job as the kid on the assembly line.
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