One of the best “Fall smells” I can think of is applesauce cooking on the stove. It is SO YUMMY!!!
Here’s a step by step of the easiest way I’ve found to make applesauce. (But be sure to read Canning 101 first if you’re unfamiliar with the basic steps of canning safely!)
I slice my apples like this, then peel each slice.
I find this to be much easier than peeling the whole apple first and then slicing it.
As I slice and peel, I put my apples into a big pot. At the bottom of my pot is 5 cups of water and 3 teaspoons of ascorbic acid (powdered vitamin C).
As I continue to add apples, I stir them into the water/ascorbic acid frequently so that the apples are all coated with the mixture and are much less likely to turn brown.
Once I have my pot 3/4 full of apples, I put it on the stove…
and bring it to a boil, then simmer it (uncovered)
for about 30 minutes or until the apples are tender.
Then, I spoon the tender apples with some of the liquid into my blender
and blend it all up until it is smooth.
Isn’t it pretty!!! Next, I pour the applesauce
into sterilized jars with a wide mouth funnel.
I hot water bath my jars for about 25 minutes.
And like always, after I pull them out of the hot water, I set them on my counter for several hours (or days) so that I can admire them and feel happy about my applesauce. Ahh…..beautiful!
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Read more Frugal Friday tips here.
Brittney Colyer says:
How long will these cans keep before opening?
Thanks for the canning 101….I have never canned before and am expecting my first child in 4 months and would love to can applesauce for when they are old enough.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Donna (mom24boyz) says:
We go through a lot of applesauce, and I have often wondered what the cost saving factor might be to do this once or twice a year—just to can a bunch at once.
I think the big thing would be for me to get a hold of lots of cheap apples.
It looks quite yummy!
September 5th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Mrs. Muffet says:
I just did a whole bunch of applesauce myself this weekend too!!!
Except, I don’t peel and core my apples. I cut them into quarters and cook them with about a caup of water until they are tender (add more or less water depending on the number of apples. It is mostly to help steam them) Then I push the soft apples through a sieve with a wooden spoon or spatula to drain out the skins, core and seeds. Then I add the sauce back to the pot to warm up and add sugar if needed. Then it’s off to the jars and the canner!!
Easy peasy!!!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Joelle says:
Awww, I really miss homemade applesauce. When I was a kid my mom used a Victorio machine that blended the cooked apples and removed all the skins, and produced the sauce. It worked really well, and therefore sometimes the applesauce turned a pretty pink, because it was cooked with the skins.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Denai says:
OHHH… Pink like my apple sauce turned out (http://randombitsofknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-do-you-do-when-you-get-saturday.html)
Great apple sauce, we have canned 77 quarts so far and plan on doing at least that many more! Thankgoodness for kind people who let us and our friends pick all the apples we want for free!
God is Good!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Teresa says:
This is great! I haven’t made homemade applesauce since my little one ate baby food. I’m going to have to get back to it now that it is apple season. I LOVE homemade applesauce!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Denai says:
Donna, super cost effective if you get your hands on FREE apples… The ones we pick are truly organic…. So every quart I can I yell $5 because that is about what a quart of Organic applesauce costs here!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Linds says:
I was hoping to do this today for the first time. Thanks for the tips!
September 5th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Amy @ Finer Things says:
Ummm… if I’d have known it was that easy… I never would have thought of the blender. Geez! I should do that! Looks so tasty!
September 5th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Sherry says:
Yum! Homemade applesauce!!
September 5th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Donna says:
Great job!
Do you make jelly or juice with your scraps???
September 5th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
lele says:
I usually always end up adding sugar and cinnamon to mine, I wonder If I am just using apples that are too tart?
September 5th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Gretchen says:
I just made some too but I did not can it yet. I use the same tool you have, except that I bought a tomato press off of ebay and use that so I don’t peel my apples. It is so easy and wonderful. I love it. Thank you for the tutorial.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Tanya says:
Just today I was searching for an applesauce recipe for my baskets of apples. God is soo good in His timing! Thank you for posting this…and the pictures:) Guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow. Tanya
September 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Lisa Cole says:
I have never canned applesauce but i have been freezing it for the last few years. I put the sliced apples into my crockpot(as many as the pot will hold) with about 1 cup of water and let them cook…skin and all and then push the softened apples through a seive and then freeze it. I love the pink color and the taste is so much better then store bought. I cant wait to go and pick apples this year!
September 6th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
sarah says:
How many apples does it take to make one jar of applesauce? We are going apple picking this weekend and I’m going to try canning for the first time. I’m really excited to try this out as we all LOVE applesauce and it is so expensive at the store. Just not sure how many lbs of apples I need to get this weekend. Thanks!!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:18 am