How to Make Fresh Applesauce

Posted by Aleah & Nick on Thursday, October 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Making applesauce in the kitchen brings back the fondest of memories growing up. Aleah spent many a fall picking apples along the Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle with her family and boiling them down until they reached that perfectly mushy stage. Then the fun really ensued: adding red hots and watching the mixture turn from a muted beige tone to a pale red tone as the red hots melted into cinnamon goodness….this step brought as much joy this past weekend as it did as a child!

Apples galore! We use at least 20 pounds for each batch {each batch can yield up to about 7 quarts of applesauce} | red hots {about 1/3 of a cup for each batch, or to taste} | sugar, if you desire | 1/3 cup of water

You’ll also need: canning jars and lids | a large canning pot and cage for your jars {don’t worry, you can improvise if you don’t have these} |an apple corer

Step 1.peel and core your apples {a hand-crank corer works magic!}

Step 2. place as many apples in a large pot as can fit, while still leaving a bit of room for stirring. Add about 1/3 cup of water so the apple won’t burn. Simmer on medium-low heat stirring and smooshing the apples as they break down.

Step 3: while you wait {you can wait a while} sanitize your jars and lids by boiling the lids. Jars can go in the dishwasher. You want to kill any germs resting on them before canning.

Step 4: by the time you’ve sanitized your apples should be relatively mushy. Add a scoop of red hots {they give the apple sauce a bit of a cinnamon flavor and you don’t have to add sugar} to taste. If you don’t care for red hots just add sugar to taste.

Doesn’t look too pretty when you’re mixing up the pot, but the end result is a pretty blush colored sauce!

Step 5. ladle sauce into your jars, leaving about 1/2″ of space from the top of the jar

*bring water in another pot to a boil during this time – the water level should just barely cover the jar lids.

Step 6. place your jars into the canning cage {if you don’t have one place a roasting rack in the bottom of your pot} into your pot and cover.

Final steps: Boil the jars for about 20-30 minutes. Once finished, remove from heat and cover with a layer of dish towels. You’ll hear the jar lids start to pop. That means they’re all set and ready for gifting of winter enjoyment!