A few weeks ago, one of my kids insisted that I buy a HUGE bag of Red Delicious apples at Costco. He does take an apple to school nearly every day, but never has he eaten the Red Delicious kind.

I tried to convince him he should get Granny Smiths or Gala or any other kind of apple we already knew he would like. But no. He’s 11 years old going on 16, and there was nothing I could say to convince him he wanted anything other than the Red Delicious apples. So I bought the bag.

Once we got home, it took only one bite of a Red Delicious apple to show him that he was not a fan of the apple’s mealy texture. (I KNEW this was going to happen.)

So we were stuck with a bushel of Red Delicious apples no one was excited to eat.

I guess I shouldn’t be giving Red Delicious apples such a hard time. For some reason, it’s one of the most popularly grown apples in America. I admit, the shiny red apples are really pretty. I just don’t like to eat them the same way I love a Jonagold or Fuji.

What do you do when life gives you a Costco sized bag of apples? Make applesauce!

Luckily, Red Delicious apples have a sweet flavor that comes through nicely when cooked. And their mealy texture isn’t an issue once you cook them. I decided to turn our Red Delicious apples into applesauce.

My kids love to eat applesauce (and I do, too.) You really don’t need to add any sugar when you make homemade applesauce. The apples should be sweet enough on their own.

Homemade applesauce is easy to make on the stovetop. It’s even easier to make in a slow cooker because you can just set it and forget it until it’s done. I decided to give the recipe a fall flavor twist by adding a little Pumpkin Spice.

My house smelled so yummy (I kept looking for the freshly baked apple pie!) while the apples and spices were slow cooking all day. I am so glad that all those Red Delicious apples did not go to waste.

Did you know you can make and freeze applesauce? Yes! Frozen applesauce will keep for up to 12 months.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Applesauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 7-8 Red Delicious apples (you can sub any kind of apples even mixed varieties work amazing)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice (*leave this out if you want plain applesauce)
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the peel and core from the apples. Slice the apples into bite sized pieces and put into your slow cooker.
2. Add water, lemon juice and pumpkin spice to the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
4. Cooked apples will be soft. Use a hand-held potato masher to mash the apples into a chunky applesauce. If a smoother applesauce is desired, use an immersion blender or run the cooked apples through a food processor.
5. Pour applesauce into canning jars or other airtight food containers. Store in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 weeks. You can store frozen in the freezer for up to 12 months. Remove applesauce and allow to thaw before eating.

• What are your favorite apple recipes? Have you ever made slow cooker applesauce?