How to Make and Can Applesauce
ByOne 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!
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.
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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!
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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!!!
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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. :)
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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!
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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!
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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!
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I was hoping to do this today for the first time. Thanks for the tips!
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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!
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Yum! Homemade applesauce!!
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Great job!
Do you make jelly or juice with your scraps???
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I usually always end up adding sugar and cinnamon to mine, I wonder If I am just using apples that are too tart?
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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.
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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
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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!
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Jen Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Quick question. When you freeze your applesauce how long does it stay in the freezer? I want to freez some for baby food but I don’t want to use it too long if it goes bad. Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Oh, it will last for months…probably even a couple of years!
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Megan Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Thanks, Lisa, for sharing info on crockpot applesauce. I plan to do this and freeze some very soon.
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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!!
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I canned several quarts of applesauce this year. A really easy way to make it is to use the corer/slicer thing like you used, (don’t peel the apples) place all apple slices in a crockpot and cook on high for 4-8 hours. DO NOT ADD LIQUID!! The apples will release their own juices as they cook. Adding water/juice will thin down your applesauce. They do turn brown, but if you used a lot of different types of apples, you shouldn’t need much, if any, sugar. Then I put the cooked apples through my food grinder attachment on my KitchenAid mixer. It grinds everything up so that you keep the nutrients of the peels. It ends up being a nice rosy brown color. A 6.5 quart crock put filled with apple slices yields about 4 quarts of applesauce.
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Don’t know if anyone has tried this but I’ve added raisins, fresh cranberries and walnuts to the apple sauce mix. Always near the end of the cooking so they don’t get too soft. Don’t have to add them all. Any one or two or three in combo. Adds a little “zing” and texture.
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We make applesauce by using the same apple wedger as you but then we add them and one cup of water for a full blender. Blend well so that the skins are minuscule and then cook it down. We have never made enough this way to end up canning it. We just have it in the frig.
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I can 4 bushels of apples at a time and this year I will move up to 5. I have 4 children and we eat a LOT of applesauce. I use a Food strainer, they cost about 70.00 but are worth every penny! All you have to do is take out the stems and cut your apples into quaters or 8 pieces to cook faster. Cook them with about a 1/2 cup of water at the bottom and when soft send them through the stainer. The applesauce comes out one side and the skins the other. I run my skins through 2 times to get all the juices out. I can can 4 bushels in about 8 to 10 hours. It makes about 85 quarts depending on the quality and size of your apples and how much the children eat while helping. :)
Strainer: http://www.amazon.com/Palmer-Wholesale-250-Victorio-Vegetable/dp/B001I7FP54/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1268689855&sr=8-9
http://littleredhen4.blogspot.com/2009/10/applesauce-makinng.html
Anyway I came across your blog and have enjoyed reading some of your posts about healthy living and thought you might find this info helpful in feeding your family.
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Would this work okay to freeze?
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Laura Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 7:50 am
Definitely!
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Can you use citric acid instead of ascorbic acid? Would it be the same measurement?
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