Comments on: How to Make and Can Applesauce

By: Tonya Carroll

Tonya Carroll — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:12:46 +0000

Your jar broke because the heat transferred too quickly from the jar to the stove top (this is a good conductor for heat). So it is important to put your jars on something that is an insulator, like a towel. Something wooden is another option. I always use a towel as others mentioned.

By: Tiffani

Tiffani — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:30:44 +0000

Oh.my.goodness!! I just made 14 qts of apple butter using my (new) Victorio strainer. Can I just give a shout out…..WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! Love this machine! Tomorrow I’m doing 2 bushels of apples for applesauce.

By: Agnes

Agnes — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Drops are by far the cheapest. If you use a victorio strainer,(which I love and have done up to 200 quarts a year) you just need to check the apple for bad spots and remove the stem ends. I quarter my apples (skins and seeds included)put them in a pressure cooker with a small amount of water. Bring them up to 5 pounds pressure and turn them off. They are now perfectly soft and ready to run through the victorio strainer. One time while I was gone, my kids hooked up the electric drill to the handle of the victorio strainer and had applesauce in no time flat minus the claw hands and sore shoulder! So now we do it this way all the time! I have 10 kids and we operate an organic dairy farm. Believe me, you have to think outside the box sometimes!

By: Patricia Thorbergson

Patricia Thorbergson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:57:43 +0000

I have a really terrific recipe for apple sauce cooked in a slow cooker over night while you sleep and the house smells so good when you wake up. It works everytime.

By: Pam Siefert

Pam Siefert — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:10:43 +0000

Nothing works better than this baby http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-VKP250-Model-Strainer-Sauce/dp/B001I7FP54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318870024&sr=8-1

My mom had one and now I do, too. Don’t need to peel or core, just slice them up & cook with a little water until soft, then run them through the grinder. We use it to make tomato sauce/juice, too.

By: Susan Alexander

Susan Alexander — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:32:31 +0000

Thanks Bekki!

By: Bekki

Bekki — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:24:28 +0000

There are about 3 to 4 apples in a pound, of course it depends on size.
I just use apples and a half a cup of water to a 12 quart stock pot
of chopped apples(about 3/4 full so I can still stir). I have a food
strainer made by Back to Basics so I don’t have to peel or core makes
it so much easier.

By: Susan Alexander

Susan Alexander — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:34:53 +0000

Bekki, thanks… Any idea about how many (count-wise) apples in a bushel? Trying to figure out how many to buy… Interesting on the browning… So you just use apples and water and no problems? I was reading applesauce is good for 2-3 years on the shelf.

By: Susan Alexander

Susan Alexander — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:26:17 +0000

I did some more looking and it looks like the ascorbic/citric acid is just to prevent discoloration and not for actual food safety?? If that’s the case, I’m not so concerned with getting it “just right”.

By: Bekki

Bekki — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:47:12 +0000

There are about 50 pounds of apples in a bushel. This will make about
12-18 quarts of applesauce. The variation is due to the types of apples
used and how juicy the apples are. I used four and a half bushels this
year and made 80 quarts. It’s a good year for apples where I am. I use
a mixture of Smokehouse, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, and Empire.
As for the asorbic acid I have no idea as I have never used it in
applesauce and have never had problems with browning even in the few
jars from last year which are still left on the shelf.