4 pounds apples – Granny Smith, Macintosh or Yellow Delicious
1 – 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more, to taste
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ – ½ cup water
Sugar or honey to taste
Peel and core the apples. Cut them into quarters. Put them in a heavy saucepan with the cinnamon sticks. Add 1/4 cup water (you only want enough liquid to create the steam to soften the apples) and lemon juice. Bring to the boil then cover, reducing heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally so the apples don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon sticks. Stir with a wooden spoon, leaving some chunks of apple in the sauce. Add sugar or honey to taste. Transfer to bowl. Refrigerate or serve warm.
-kr