Homemade chunky applesauce is a snap to make. Wash, peel and core apples. Put the apple into a saucepan and cook on medium heat adding only enough water to prevent scorching. Cook until soft. Then mash with a potato masher rather than pressing through a sieve to make chunks. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of sugar for each apple cooked to sweeten to taste. You also can add cinnamon candies for color and flavor, or dust with ground cinnamon or nutmeg. It's delicious when warm or cold. The applesauce also can be frozen.

If you have lots of apples, request the University of Missouri Extension guides on canning fruits and freezing fruits (GH 1502) for more specifics on preserving apples. 

Apple butter is also popular with many families. Sometimes there’s a family recipe or tradition around the making of the fruit butter. Lately there has been more interest in making apple butter without added sugar. Artificial sweeteners can be used to sweeten the apple butter. Since some sweeteners lose their sweetness when heated, wait to add the sweetener until the product is cooling. Regardless of the type of artificial sweetener used, lite apple butter should be stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

Here’s a recipe for Lite Apple Butter. You’ll need:

• 6 to 7 pounds cored and sliced ripe apples
• ½ (one-half) cup water
• ½ (one-half) teaspoon sal
• 5 drops cinnamon oil
• artificial sweetener to equal two cups of sugar

To prepare:

1. Heat the apples and water, covered, over medium heat until tender, stirring frequently.
2. Press through a sieve. Reheat and add salt, cinnamon oil and sweetener.
3. Cook to the desired thickness.
4. Pour into containers. Cover with tight-fitting lids. Cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 10 half-pints.

If you want to make Old Fashioned Apple Butter (from the Ball Blue book) you’ll need:

• 24, medium sized apples, quartered (do not use windfall apples, only good quality apples should be used)
• 2 cups sweet apple cider
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ (one and one-half) teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ (one-half) teaspoon ground cloves

To prepare:

1. Cook the apples in cider until tender.
2. Press through a sieve or food mill.
3. Measure 3 quarts apple pulp.
4. Cook pulp until thick enough to round up in a spoon. As pulp thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.
5. Add sugar and spices. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until thick and glossy, about one hour.
6. Pour hot butter into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace, wipe jar rims, adjust lids and process pints and quarts 10 minutes in a simmering-water bath.

This recipe yields three-pints.

Golden Apple Butter is another variation of apple butter. This recipe comes from the University Extension guide, GH 1461. The ingredients you'll need are:

• 8 pounds apples
• 2 cups cider
• 2 cups vinegar
• 2¼ (two and one-fourth) cups white sugar
• 2¼ (two and one-fourth) cups packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves

To prepare:

1. Quarter and core apples.
2. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft.
3. Press through colander, food mill or strainer.
4. Cook fruit pulp with sugar and spices, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. Apple butter is done if it remains mounded on the spoon. Or, test for doneness by spooning a small amount onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the apple butter, it is ready for canning.
5. Fill hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.
6. Process in a boiling-water bath, half-pints or pints, 10 minutes and quarts for 15 minutes.

This yields 9 pints.