Homemade Applesauce

SUPPLIES FOR MAKING APPLESAUCE:

Apples

Sugar

Cinnamon

Lemon Juice

Water

Canning Jars, lids and bands

Large Pan for boiling apples

Large Pan for boiling filled jars



This is a process that will work well to water bath can any acid food. Acid foods include jellies, jams, preserves, marmalade, fruits, tomatoes with acid, pickles, relish, and chutneys.

1. First, assemble the jars, lids, and bands you will be using for the canning.

2. Then, wash the jars, bands, and lids in hot, soapy water. Rinse them well. Heat jars, bands, and lids in 180 degree water. Do NOT boil the lids. Boiling can damage the rubber that makes the seal between the lid and glass of the jar mouth.

3. Now, make the applesauce. We peel, core, and chop the apples, add a little water and then start to cook then down. As they cook we test for taste and then add a little sugar and cinnamon if they are too tart.

Make sure to stir the apples for your applesauce often as they first start to cook down or they will stick to the pot and burn.

Just boil them down a little and when they are soft mash them up.

Add cinnamon or other spices like nutmeg to your applesuace, some folks don’t like to add any sugar. Make what your family will eat!

4. Now, fill the hot jar with your recipe. Leave ¼ inch of room at the top (called headspace) for fruit juices, pickles, or soft spreads like apple butter or ½ inch for fruits and tomatoes. We get about 8 quarts of sauce from a ½ bushel of apples.

5. Remove air bubbles by sliding a knife or spatula down the side of the jar all the way around. The air bubbles can expand at a different rate than the food in the jar and cause the jar to explode in the water bath. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice per quart to keep the fruit from discoloring if you are canning fruits.



6. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean damp cloth. Center heated lid on jar with the rubbery sealing compound down next to glass. Screw band down just fingertip tight.

7. Start the water in the water bath canner boiling. Place the jars in your water bath canner and make sure they are completely covered with water. With the water continuing to boil, cover, and boil for at least ten minutes.

8. After ten minutes (at least ten minutes), remove the jars and set them on a towel to cool for at least 5 minutes, which helps them to seal. Avoid drafts at this stage as the jars can break! Bands should NOT be re-tightened. Cool for 12 to 24 hours.

9. Test for seal by pressing center of lid. If the lid does not flex up and down - it is sealed. Remove bands, wipe jars and lids with a clean damp cloth, label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark, place.

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