Fall is my favorite time of year here in upstate New York. Not too hot, not too cold. Leaves are changing, fresh pumpkins and lots of fresh apples.
Last year I made canned applesauce as an experiment. It came out great! It is now one of my staple things to can. I will never buy another jar of canned applesauce again.
Jarred applesauce is usually full of high fructose corn syrup. You can buy unsweetened and organic applesauce, but canned applesauce tastes so much better.
Here's how I made mine:
12 good sized apples, washed, peeled, cored and cut in quarters
1/2 - 1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon, optional
Cook apples until soft in a large covered sauce pot with just enough water to prevent sticking. About 8 - 15 minutes. Puree in a food processor, food mill or blender. Return apple pulp to sauce pot. At a temperature of about 200F, add the cinnamon, if desired. Bring to a boil (212F), stirring to prevent sticking. Try to maintain temperature of 212F while filling jars. This is the hard part because the applesauce tends to spit out at you while it's boiling. It's hot so be careful. Leave 1/2 inch headspace in each jar. Remove air bubbles and wipe top of jar clean with a paper towel. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pint and quart jars 20 minutes in a boiling water canner.
For me, a dozen apples made 7 canned pint jars and 1 quart jar to eat fresh.
I mix and match the types of apples I use. McIntosh is my favorite, but I also like Cortlandt. Different apples give a subtle taste in difference. They all taste good to me!
Tip: Boil jars in a sauce pan of boiling water for 5 minutes first. Then turn heat down and simmer until jars are ready to be filled. This keeps the jars hot, so they don't crack when placed in the boiling water canner.
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