During the month of September I spend a LOT of time in my kitchen freezing food and home canning foods for the upcoming winter season. It’s a great way to preserve what’s left in my backyard garden. In addition, I like to visit some of our local Farmer’s Markets and pick up some bargains on what they have left too!

Every year I like to make and can my own homemade creamy style applesauce. My family loves to snack on it and I like to use it as an ingredient when baking during the wintertime. It’s a great way to cut down on the fat and calories in many homemade baked goods.

When I make and can applesauce I used the recipe from the Ball Blue Book – Guide to Preserving. I also like to use fresh from the tree Gala apples when making it. The recipe will make 6 pint jars or 3 quart jars.

Home Canning: Creamy Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

22 to 32 medium apples
Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1 3/4 cups to 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (optional)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I add this)

Prep: Wash apples and dry. Remove stem & blossom ends. Peel apples, if desired. Cut apples into quarters. Treat apples with Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector to prevent darkening. (note: I use an apple peeler and corer to make this an easy process and then cut them into quarters).

Cook: Drain apple quarters. Combine apples & water in a large pot. Cover over medium heat until soft, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. (this step can also be done in a slower cooker for several hours with the temperature set at low). Puree mixture using an electric food strainer or food mill (I use my blender). Return apple pure to the pan. Stir in granulated sugar, if desired along with ground cinnamon to taste. Bring applesauce to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking and so the granulated sugar completely dissolves.. Maintain a high temperature while filling your jars.

Fill: Ladle hot applesauce into a hot jar, leaving a 1/2″ headspace. Remove air bubbles and clean the jar rim. Place lid and band onto the jar until the band is fingertip tight. Place jar on the rack elevated above the water bath canner with the water simmering at about 180 degrees F. Repeat until all of your jars are filled.

Process: Lower the rack into the simmering water. Water must cover the jars by at least 1″ in depth. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner and bring the water to a full boil. Process pint or quart jars for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Let jars sit in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes to begin the cooling process. After 5 minutes remove them from the canner. Place jars on a towel on your kitchen counter to allow them to cool. After 12 hours check all jars to make sure they sealed properly.

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Every week I’ve been getting 10-12 cucumbers from my backyard garden. For some reason, cucumbers grow extremely well here and even though I ONLY planted four cucumber plants this year…they’re really producing a lot for us!

A friend of mine over on Facebook shared her recipe with me on how to make homemade sweet freezer pickles, so I whipped up 4 batches of them last week. For those of you who are looking to make your own homemade sweet pickles, but don’t want the hassle of canning them, this freezer pickle recipe is for you! Super easy to make!

Homemade Sweet Freezer Pickles Recipe

3 large cucumbers
salt
6-8 ice cubes
1 cup vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. mustard or celery seed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 ice cubes

Wash and slice your cumbers. I like to slice mine about a 1/4″ thick. Place them into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt on top. I just sprinkle a lot, stir up the slices and then toss 6-8 ice cubes on top. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let them sit out at room temperature for 3 hours.

Pour cucumbers into a large colander and run cool tap water over them. You need to rinse all of the salt off of the cukes and let the water drain away.

In a medium sized saucepan combine together the white vinegar, granulated sugar, water, mustard seed and ground black pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring often. You ONLY want to simmer the mixture until all of the granulated sugar has been dissolved. Remove from heat. Toss in 4 ice cubes. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature. Mix together the newly made brine with the prepared cucumber slices. Stir to combine.

Spoon sliced cucumbers and brine into freezer containers. Wipe the rim clean with a dry paper towel. Place lid on top, label and freeze. They will keep for up to 6 months. In addition, she recommends NOT eating them for at least 30 days after you make them, to allow the flavors to infuse.

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