Plum Applesauce - West

Found this recipe in Gourmet (Sept 2006). My Italian Plum trees were bursting and I was looking for quick and tasty ways to use them up. This was the perfect recipe! I made some minor adjustments (like adding cinnamon). You can use any kind of plum you have access to. If you use a small plum like Italian, just pit and halve them, instead of quartering them. Gala or McIntosh are recommended because they are a bit softer and lend themselves to a applesauce (I used Gala). Quick, easy and yummy, my favorite kind of recipe!!

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Yields: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2  lbs gala apples, quartered and seeded and left unpeeled (can substitute McIntosh)
• 2  lbs plums, quartered and pitted (red, black or Italian plums)
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a 4 -5 quart heavy pot, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is very tender and falling apart, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
2. Force mixture through a food mill using the finest blade.
3. Add cinnamon and stir to incorporate.
4. Will keep one week covered and chilled.
5. Note: My cooked mixture created a LOT of liquid. I did not want a runny sauce, so before putting through the food mill, I put mixture in a sieve to separate out the liquid. AFTER using the food mill, I added just a bit of the liquid back until the sauce was a consistency I liked.