Welcome! Since we’ve surpassed a good couple of frosts, apple season is well underway in my neck of the woods. And with it comes LOTS of canning- applesauce, apple butter, apple pie filling, apple jelly…so many delicious things underway. So today I’m going to share with you how to make and can your own applesauce! (and I have a bonus apple butter recipe at the bottom of the post!)
Canned Homemade Applesauce
(Printable Recipe HERE)
(Printable Recipe HERE)
What you will need:
- -Apples! And a lot of them! Your standard water bath canner will hold 7 quart jars, for which you will need approx. 21 pounds of apples. If you are looking at canning up a smaller batch, you will need approx. 13 1/2 pounds of apples for 9 pints of sauce. Be sure to choose sweeter apples for sauce, and I personally like a softer apple that will cook down faster.
- -Boiling Water Canner
- -Double Boiler(s) or Heavy Stock Pot(s) at least 8 quart size
- -Jars, Lids, Bands
- -Sieve/Food Mill/Food Strainer/Sauce Maker/Potato Masher (any one of these will do)
- -Jar Funnel
- -Jar Grabber
- -Lid Lifter
- -Other: cutting board, knife(s), long-handled spoon, rubber spatula, measuring cups/spoons, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, water
Step 1:
Wash your apples. Don’t you worry about those bruises or bad spots- they can always be cut out! The great thing about applesauce is the apples don’t need to be all that pretty 🙂 And their size doesn’t matter either.
Step 2:
Quarter your apples. I do try and discard the stems and the seeds as much as I can without being too picky- but really, you don’t need to do even that. It will all get caught in the food mill anyways- I just like to spare myself the trouble. Don’t worry about peeling them! Cut out any bad spots.
Now- the important decision making time. Many people simply use a stock pot to soften their apples. The problem there is you need to stir fairly frequently to make sure that they don’t scorch/stick to the bottom- and if you like to load up that pot and make the most of your time- it’s nearly impossible to make sure you’re stirring the apples up off of the bottom well enough to prevent burning. And take it from me- you do not want to have that happen! I’ve had to throw out an entire batch of apples because I had some burn to the bottom and the taste ruined the whole works. THAT is why I use a double boiler. A double boiler is simply one pot that fits inside another without the top pot touching the bottom of the lower. About an inch of water needs to be put in the bottom of the lower pot and that water heats up and steams the contents of the upper pot. Pretty nice :). Just cover and stir as you feel like it- or just let it steam away. No burning!
Don’t have a double boiler? Make one. Find a smaller pot that fits inside a larger one- the less gap around the sides the better (steam escapes). Be sure to check that the water in the bottom pot hasn’t completely evaporated (you will be able to tell if it has by the hissing sound you will hear).
Put your quartered apples into your pot with about 2 cups of water.
Step 3:
(notice my homemade double boiler on the back burner)
I like to get two batches of apples going to make the most of my time. After the first pot is filled and covered and steaming has begun, turn on the burner for your boiling water canner and get that going (it should be filled about 2/3 full with water).
Chop apples for your second batch and get that one covered and on the burner. This always works out nicely as by the time the first batch is nearly done in the canner, I’m ready to process the second batch.
Step 4:
Prepare your jars, lids, and bands. If you’re like me and live without certain luxuries such as a dishwasher, wash them in hot, soapy water and rinse well. I then turn my oven to 200 degrees and place the jars in there so that they are sterilized and ready for use (you also want your jars to be hot so that they don’t break when lowered into the boiling water of your canner). The bands, once dry, are ready for use. The lids should be placed in hot water (180 degrees) until ready to be used.
Step 5:
Allow 30-45 minutes for your apples to soften. The mushier they are, the easier they are to run through your food mill.
Ladle apples into the mill (or whichever tool you’re using) and crank away! The mill will capture any skins, seeds, and stems while smooth sauce is expelled into the pot below. (If you like chunky applesauce, use a potato masher- although you would have to hand-pick out the skins and other unwanted pieces).
Step 6:
Measure it out! For every 8 cups of sauce, add 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. This will result in delicious, golden, sweet applesauce (that my kids LOVE). If you like a less sweet applesauce, you can leave the puree unsweetened or estimate 1/4 cup granulated sugar per quart of sauce and a healthy dash of cinnamon.
Using a whisk rather than a spoon or rubber spatula does a much better job at distributing the sugar and spices. Make sure it is well blended.
Step 7:
Using your jar funnel, ladle applesauce into your jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Headspace (which is the space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar) is needed as the contents of the jar will expand during processing and needs that room in order to do so. Too little headspace could result in jars that leak during processing (as the food expands), thus interfering with the sealing of the jar. Too much headspace could also result in a faulty seal. A good general rule of thumb is: 1/4 inch headspace for jams/jellies, 1/2 inch headspace for fruits, and 1 inch headspace for vegetables. As the food cools it contracts, which pulls down the lid of the jar to create a seal.
Wipe rim and threads of the jar clean before placing on a hot lid and securing with a band. Repeat for each subsequent jar.
Step 8:
By now, your boiling water canner should be boiling. Place jars into canner and gently lower the canner rack into the water, making sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water (if they are not, add more hot water). Cover. Return canner to a boil and process for 20 minutes (quart jars) or 15 minutes (pint jars).
Step 9:
Turn off heat. Carefully raise the canning rack and remove jars one by one with your jar lifter. Place on racks to cool or dry towels on the counter. I usually allow mine to sit out for about 12 hours. Check for proper seal (a lid that does not pop back after being pressed in the middle) and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Apple Butter
(Printable Recipe HERE)
What you will need:
- -4 pounds tart apples
- -1/4 cup water
- Sugar
- -1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- -1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Quarter apples and place in double boiler along with water. Cover and steam until soft. Run through food mill or sieve. For every cup of pulp, add 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add cinnamon and cloves. Return to a stockpot and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture should be smooth and thickened. Fill sterilized half-pint or pint jars with mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe threads and rims of jars clean before placing lids and securing with bands. Process in boiling water canner for 5 minutes.
Both of these recipes sound delicious and totally loveable for my family! This may be my first attempt this year at canning – I’ve done sweet pickles in the past and strawberry jam but that is the extent of my skills – LOL. Thanks so much for sharing such great instructions and photos!
I love your recipe and will try to do! Thanks for sharing, I love cooking.<3
Hi Erin,
These pictures are making me hungry, and I just ate!
I make apricot jam, but since I don’t have a big enough pot to do a hot water bath, I just ladle the magma like jam into hot sterile jars and let them seal under a towel. After they have popped and are cool, then I put them in the fridge until I divvy them out.
I tell my family, friends and neighbors that even though the jam is sealed and practically candy because of all the sugar (;D ), they need to keep the jam in the fridge – just to be safe.
Oh how I dream of getting a pressure canner, it would save a lot of fridge space in the summer!
Thanks for the yummy recipes.
Heather
Newbie here! we did strawbery and peach jam this year but I still have questions. If the lid doesn’t pop back is there a process for sealing it? Is it safe to put it back in boiling water and try again?