In America, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed Day. Most people are unaware of this historical date; unless, you are an elementary school
teacher. As a former elementary school teacher, I looked forward to Johnny Appleseed Day each year. We studied the life of John Chapman, a
nurseryman, who traveled across America planting apple tree orchards along the way. Johnny Appleseed Day at school was filled with
apple-inspired activities, but my favorite activity was making homemade applesauce! Each child would bring in their favorite apple from home.
We would peel the apples, cut them, and stick them in a crockpot. We would add a handful of "red hot" cinnamon candies, set the crockpot to
high, and smell the heavenly scent of apples and cinnamon cooking in our classroom. At the end of the school day, I would spoon the pink-tinted
applesauce into small dixie cups. Everyone got a sample of the warm, cinnamon-flavored applesauce and it was yummy!
Over the years, I have continued to experiment with crockpot applesauce recipes. The great thing about crockpot applesauce is that it is
difficult to go wrong. Crockpot applesauce recipes use few ingredients, are simple to make, taste delicious, and make your house smell
scrumptious.
When I began making applesauce, I wondered if there was a certain variety of apple that was better to use than another. Truth be told, any
apple can be turned into applesauce. However, many recipes call for a combination of apple varieties, which many people believe creates the
best flavor. (Perhaps this is why our classroom applesauce always turned out so good!) Other people recommend using softer apples because they
cook faster. And of course, choosing which apples to use may just come down to a matter of preference. As I've sifted through various recipes,
popular applesauce apples include Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp.
Once you've selected the apples of your choice, it is time to find a recipe. I came across this crockpot applesauce recipe a couple of years
ago and we really enjoy it.
