The Virginia Winesaps in my back yard are so full that the branches are bending over. It’s time to harvest. The apples tend to be very firm, a bit grainy, and quite tart, and aren’t incredibly good for eating, but are great for pies and for apple sauce and apple butter.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of peeled and sliced apples
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 lemon

  Step 1, the tedious part: Harvest (or buy) several pounds of apples. Find a comfortable place to sit or stand, and peel them, and then slice them into a bowl until you have 8 cups or a little more.

Step 2, mixing it up: Put the apples in a large crock-pot. Add the sugar (more if you like it sweeter, or if the apples are really sour, but I find this is enough), the cinnamon (again, to taste), and the juice of the lemon. If you want to be creative, you might consider adding a tablespoon of ginger, or a half cup of rum, or some cardamom; red-hots if you are that kind.  Mix thoroughly.

Step 3, cook it down: Turn it on to a medium heat, and let it sit for 6 hours if you want apple sauce, 8 or more if you want apple butter. You will know when it is the thickness that you want. I cooked it down to about 3 cups, which makes it more like a spread.

Step 4, share and enjoy: They are great on toast, or with a scone, or on a sandwich with peanut-butter, or to sweeten tea, or in a Vinaigrette. You can store them in the fridge in cute little jars, or give them to friends. You can take it and some warm baked bread to a class you are teaching, or leave some in the break-room at work.