National Food Day and Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Did you know today, October 24, 2011, is the first National Food Day? In case you haven't heard of it, the goal is to inspire a broad movement for producing healthy, affordable food in a sustainable, humane way. More specifically, here are its six goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers.

In the spirit of this day and in the spirit of Kristie's favorite season, we decided to make some homemade applesauce. Unfortunately we don't have our own apples yet (trees are in the ground but it will be several years), so we turned to our trusty source for all things local and organic that we don't grow, Clarion River Organics. These apples are truly organic. They're not the prettiest and not the biggest, but dang they are delicious. Such a pure, raw apple flavor. And their Red Delicious variety is sweet, which is perfect for our applesauce because we don't like to add sugar. So when choosing apples, make sure to choose sweet varieties not tart ones like Granny Smith or you'll need to add sugar to the recipe. And please buy organic if possible. Apples topped the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list this year as being the fruit or vegetable that is most contaminated with pesticides. 

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

• Peel, core, and slice at least 8 apples, or you can fill up the crock pot. This part takes the longest. We are definitely in the market for one of those deluxe corer/peeler/slicers.
• Toss all apples into the crockpot.
• Throw in 1/2 to 1 Cup of water.
• Sprinkle in cinnamon to taste (optional).
• Set on low for 8 hours.
• Mash it with a fork or potato masher.

And you're done! Applesauce can be frozen or canned for later use.