Applesauce

A while ago we went to the apple orchard to pick apples to make applesauce.   I made the applesauce pretty soon after going, but never got around to posting pictures.

If you have never made applesauce you should try.  It is pretty easy, just a bit time consuming.

Step One:
Peel, core and cut all the apples.  This is what takes the most time.  I didn’t take any pictures of the process, but I used about a 1/2 bushel of apples.  As I cut the apples I place them in a a bowl of water with some everfresh sprinkled on.

Step Two:
Add a little bit of water to the bottom of the pot and start adding your apples to the pot.  I add the apples to the pot as they fill the bowl I put them in after cutting.  After filling the pot about 1/2 way with apples I turn the stove on medium low to help the apples start cooking down (this way I have enough space to put all the apples in).

 

This is also the time I start preparing the canner and jars.  To do this, I fill the canner (which is just a really big pot that comes with a rack to hold the cans) with some water.  I then put the jars I will be using in, and make sure the water in the canner is 1 inch above he jars.  Bring the water and cans to a boil.  Boil the cans for about 10-15 minutes to sterilize (the amount of time depends on your elevation, so check it out).  After the jars are sterilized, turn the heat down and just let them simmer.  You want to keep the jars hot, since you will be putting hot applesauce in them.  Sorry I didn’t take any pictures.  I was pretty beat by that time, and we had family coming over for a
pizza-paloza.  There are many websites that can teach you all about
canning.

Now that your canner is reading, you can check out your applesauce.  As you can see here, the apples have cooked down much more.