Summer may still be in the air, but apples are ready for picking. Believe it or not, but even with all the amazing farms and orchards here on the East End, there are also quite a few abandoned and forgotten orchards out there as well.

That's what happened recently when a friend of mine stopped by with two gigantic garbage bags full of apples. He had come upon a forgotten apple orchard on the property of a condemned house on the South Fork that was about to be torn down. No one lived there at the time, no one wanted the apples and they were just sitting there on the trees…so.



There appear to be two different types of apples in the bags, one green, the other red. The red ones look like Gala or Fuji, but they're smaller and very pulpy, not good for eating, but perfect for cooking or baking with. Best of all, they haven't been sprayed for a long time, so the fruit is pure organic. 


         Rinse apples off & boil down in a big pot of water

So what do you do with several pounds of apples? Make applesauce of course, it's easy, delicious and good for you.
My husband showed me a technique for making quick and easy applesauce, something I prefer to call Lazy Applesauce. It's called that because basically it just involves boiling a gigantic pot of chopped up apples till soft, then mashing them with a potato masher or ricer or running them through a food processor. That's it.


               This batch was made using a hand ricer

Yes, there are tons of applesauce recipes out there and yes, some suggest adding lemon juice, cinnamon, etc. But make a lazy batch first to see just how good pure applesauce is - without anything added.

If using store bought apples you'll want to peel them first, because they have been sprayed. Then add a little of what you like. I just add a little bit of sugar or agave to a serving with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top. It's delicious with meats (Pork Chops & Applesauce!) and Latka season isn't too far away. Enjoy!

                               Lazy Applesauce

Apples (peeled or unpeeled)
1 large pot
Ricer, potato masher or food processor

Rinse apples or peel them first
Chop apples up into smaller pieces
Boil apples in large pot of water - takes 10-15 minutes approx.
(Just as if making mashed potatos)

When soft , remove and mash or squeeze thru ricer
(For smoother applesauce use food processor)

Taste for sweetness

(1 large pot of chopped apples makes about 2 quarts)