Pretty in Pink Applesauce

This homemade applesauce has a delicious, clear apple taste accented with a little nutmeg, a nip of lemon, and bit of cranberry juice . Use some of the apple peelings to make the applesauce nice and thick (and remember to dig them out before serving).

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 9  mcintosh apples
• 1 1⁄2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Peel the apples, reserving the peels of 6 of them.
2. Quarter and core the apples.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil then reduce heat.
4. Simmer mixture until apples are soft and you can mash them down into applesauce, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Remove peels from the applesauce and discard them.
7. Mash applesauce a bit more if you wish (I like mine a bit chunky), then refrigerate until ready to serve.
8. If you like, you can make extra applesauce and spoon into sterilized pint jars, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.