Easiest Ever Apple Compote (AIP-Friendly)

Need a sweet treat? This apple compote is a simple and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. It's nice as a dessert or as an accompaniment to pork dishes. Because I leave some texture to the finished product, I call it compote, but you can puree it smooth and make apple sauce. It's so easy; you'll wonder why you ever bought apple sauce at the store. Consider making a double or triple batch and canning it or freezing it; then you can keep some on hand! An added benefit is the euphoric apple aromatherapy you will experience as the fragrance of cooking apples and lemon fill your house! This recipe yields about 2 cups.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. apples (The vinegar adds a nice sour note, so stick to sweet apples for this recipe; I use Galas & Honey Crisps.)
2-3 T raw apple cider vinegar
2-3 T filtered water
2-3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch sea salt

Directions

1. Peel and core apples. If AIP, take special care to remove all of the seeds. Discard peels and cores, and cut apples into rough 1 inch pieces and put in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Add 2 T raw apple cider vinegar, 2 T lemon juice, 2 T water, and a small pinch of sea salt to the pot, and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. If the pot begins to dry out, add additional water or apple cider vinegar, 1/2 T at a time, until the apples are very soft. Take care to not add too much liquid. If your apples are cooked, but there's more than a couple tablespoons of liquid in the pot, keep the lid off, and let the liquid evaporate.
4. Using a potato masher, mash the apples until you get to a consistency you like. You can also use a food mill or a food processor.
5. Add additional lemon juice to taste. For a nice variation, you can add ground cinnamon at the end.