• Peel and slice apples either by hand or with an apple peeler/corer. Add to a large crockpot.
• Sprinkle brown sugar over the apples then add cinnamon sticks, vanilla extract, salt, and spices. Cover with the lid and set the dial on low. Set a timer to 4 hours.
• Stir the apples half way through to distribute the spices throughout the apple mixture. At this point you can also taste it to see if the applesauce needs more sugar or if it needs some lemon juice to make it more tart. 
• When the time is up, remove cinnamon sticks and use an immersion blender or a potato masher to get the applesauce to the preferred consistency. I like mine a little chunky.

Canning Instructions

• Wash lids and collars with hot soapy water and set aside. Sterilize jars by adding clean jars to a cold water bath canner, or a large pot. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least a few inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove jars from the canner. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars leaving ½" headspace. Remove air bubbles by running a knife around the inside edges of the jar. Wipe the rims with a clean paper towel then fasten the lids and collars.
• Lower filled jars into hot water-bath canner. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, then set a timer for 20 minutes. When the time is up, remove jars from canner and wait until all the jars seal before labeling and storing in the pantry.