Apple Paste - cooking recipe

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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.).
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.
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.
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.
Stir in the lemon juice.
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.).
Store in an airtight container.