Apple Paste

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 large apples (i used red delicious)
• water, to cover
• 2 cups sugar, approximately
• 1/2 lemon, juice of

Recipe

• 1 line a 8” or 9” cake pan with parchment paper which has been lightly greased with vegetable oil. (place your squeezed lemon juice by your prepared pan so you don’t forget.).
• 2 put the apples in a large saucepan and add water, just to cover. bring to a boil and cover pan with a lid. cook for about 30 – 40 minutes until apples are very soft.
• 3 strain and discard the liquid. (note: i strained mine in a colander and lightly pressed with the back of a spoon to release some liquid.) place the apples in a food processor or blender and puree/pulverize into a fine pulp. measure how many cups puree.
• 4 return the apple pulp to the saucepan and allow 1 cup of sugar for each 2 cups of puree. over low heat dissolve the sugar then increase heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is very thick, about 45-50 minutes. adjust heat as you go. the mixture will deepen in color and considerably pull away from the sides and bottom of the pan. when drawing a spoon through the paste, if the drawn line in the bottom of the pan does not disappear, it is thick enough.
• 5 stir in the lemon juice.
• 6 with a spatula, spread the paste evenly to form a slab. cool completely. invert onto a platter and allow to dry for a day or two. cut into cubes. (note: if you didn’t cook the mixture long enough, it is possible to firm it by placing the pan in a low oven for a few minutes to dry.).
• 7 store in an airtight container.