Applesauce

 We learned a lot in 2022 about the recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. 

Notes

1. We have a food mill and using that, we don't need to peel or core the apples, or even take off the stems.

2. Use the dutch oven under the food mill to catch the applesauce, and the mixing bowl with the splatter guard to catch the detritus. 

3. Consider cutting the apples smaller (in eighths instead of quartered) to take down the cooking time. Quartered apples took a long time to cook.

4. Twelve pounds of Honeycrisp apples yielded us about 6.5 pint (16 oz) jars of applesauce. The recipe said it would be eight. 

5. Prepare the food mill and supplies the night before canning. It will take a whole day, so don't plan anything else for the day.

6. Add lemon juice when you re-heat the applesauce before putting it in the jars.

Ingredients

12 lbs apples (we like Honeycrisp)

4 T lemon juice

Instructions

1. Set up food mill (see note above #2 and #5). Set out jars, rings, and lids on a clean surface. 

2. Cut up the apples in quarters or eighths. Place in a small stockpot with a little water, enough so they won't burn, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 20 minutes, until apples are tender. Optional: let cool for five minutes (we didn't do that in 2022 and everything was fine).

3. Transfer to a food mill and process.

4. Return apple puree to the stove and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Maintain boil while filling jars.

5. Sterilize jars.

6. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary by adding hot applesauce. Wipe rim. 

7. Place cover and screw top on jars, and screw down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

8. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered in water. Bring to a boil and process jars for 20 minutes. Let the canner cool for 5 minutes.

9. Remove jars (do NOT dry them at this point) and place upright on a towel. Let cool for 24 hours then test for a good seal before removing the screw tops.

10. Date them to eat them for 1 year. Store in a cool, dry, and dark place.