September 27, 2008

Apples

There are a few things that will always remind me of my grandmother. Certain hymns, songs, moments. But more than anything, certain foods. A farmer's wife, she always had a garden, so of course there are items that always filled her kitchen. My grandfather loved beets, and she would pick them out of their backyard garden (once they'd moved to town), and he would eat them sliced on a plate with just salt and pepper. She made wonderful chicken and dumplings, and when I was a kid and we came to visit, her cookie jar was always filled with sugar cookies. Her coffee cakes were infamous and even when we lived in Texas, she sent us one every year. She loved black coffee and lunch at Bob Evans.

But for some reason -- more than anything else -- it's applesauce that makes me think of her. She made it every year and always had some jarred.

When the remnants of Ike blew through Ohio, the apple trees got stripped bare. So my mom has been making a lot of applesauce! The other day on the phone, I asked her how to do it and she said, oh it's so easy and proceeded to rattle off a bunch of measurements and "if you have x apples you need x sugar and water," and I said, "Mother. I can't remember this. Please e-mail it!" So she did.

Wash, peel, core & quarter 8 to 12 medium large apples. Place in large sauce pan with small amount of water 1/2 to 3/4 cup? Cover and cook slowly till tender. I like my applesauce a little chunky so I don't cook it until it gets too smooth. Add sugar to taste about 1/4 cup sugar for every 4 medium apples. Cook until sugar is dissolved, just a few minutes. Add spice to taste, 1/4 t nugmeg, 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/8 t cloves. Serve while warm. Will keep in refrigerator for several days. I always think of MeMe when I peel apples or make so many of her recipes. She would peel and cut 50 or so apples at a time! I miss her.

Posted by hannah at 10:21 AM