Canning Applesauce

 

I know the end of the canning year has arrived when I make the applesauce.  This is my last big effort of canning before I retire the kettles and jars until spring and start getting ready for the holidays.  The apples I used this year were Golden Delicious and Rome's.  I generally use a half and half mix of Golden's and Red Delicious but this year could only get the Rome's at a great price.  I paid 25 cents a pound for over 150 lbs of apples.  Half of these were Galas for winter storage in our cold room for fresh eating. Believe it or not you do not have to add sugar to most canned fruits to preserve them.  They already have enough natural sugar, but they will be insipid and tasteless without the sugar.  This is why you are better off making applesauce with sweet eating apples like Golden's or red Delicious.  you can then use very little sugar saving tons of money and making the sauce healthier.  Using a mix of two or more apples will also give the sauce a better flavor.

 

Golden Delicious Apples

 You can see why I am so impatient for my apple trees to start producing and why I planted them in the first place.  If I had an unlimited free supply of apples I would also dry them, can apple pie filling, apple butter, and make apple pies/tarts/bread/fried apples all the time!  And maybe just for fun make cider.  I can expect plenty of fruit from my five trees, but deep down I long for more.

I have now pretty much got canning down to a system.  Each fruit or veggie requires a little bit different processing method so to really get into a rhythm you have to adapt to each food item.  My applesauce system is as follows.

First I put all my jars into the dishwasher with two tablespoons of bleach thrown in for extra sterilizing power and start it.  As long as the jars stay hot after washing they are considered sterile.  Then I fill my big water bath canning kettles and start them heating because they take awhile to get to boiling.

Next I start peeling the apples.  After I get one extra-large full bowl I pour the apples into my big stock pot with two cups water and boil till tender.  Then they go into the blender.  This gives them an extra smooth texture unlike anything you have tried in the store.  Back into the stockpot the sauce goes with one cup organic cane sugar and Cinnamon and nutmeg. Once it boils the sauce is ladled into quart jars, sealed, and then immersed in the now boiling water canner for 20 minutes.  Now the system starts in earnest.

 

 

While one batch is in the water bath I am cooking another batch which takes about 15 minutes to reach tender.  While all that is boiling I am peeling more apples.  In that 20 minutes I am able to fill my big bowl for another batch.  On it goes until I'm done!

 

This morning I canned 27 quarts of applesauce