This mixed berry and cherry applesauce is absolutely delicious! I came up with my own fruity combination and my family devours this every time I open a jar.  It’s fairly easy to make and always tastes better than store bought applesauce. I typically follow the Ball Canning Recipe but do cheat by using my slow cooker to cook down the apples, berries and cherries, which I’ll explain below.

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Don’t do home canning? That’s okay! Make the recipe following my steps below. After simmering it on the stove-top for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool. Spoon into freezer containers leaving a 1″ headspace. Place on lids. Label and freeze for up to 1 year. You can pull out one container at a time and thaw it overnight in your refrigerator.

Slow Cooker Tips: I wash, peel and core my apples. I chop them into smaller pieces. Place into the slow cooker with just enough water to cover them. Stir in 1/2 cup thawed or fresh blueberries, a 1/2 cup thawed or fresh sliced strawberries, and a 1/2 cup of cherries (stems and pits removed). Add in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to prevent browning of the apples. Stir everything together. If needed, add a little bit more water. Cover.  Slow cook on the high setting for 1 hour and then turn the heat down to low. Slow cook 2 to 3 hours on low or until apples and fruit are super-soft. They should be fork-tender, but not falling apart. Use a slotted spoon to fish fruit out of the water. I place everything into my Ninja (blender). Cover and blend until smooth and creamy.  Transfer everything to a large saucepan and simmer over low heat on the stove-top for 10 minutes, stirring often. Then proceed with canning it.

Note: You can use any combination of berries that you like. My family personally likes the blueberry, strawberry, and cherry combo, but you can certainly use mulberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

Applesauce is canned using a water bath canner. You’ll need the water bath canner, glass mason jars, seals, rings, a wide mouth funnel, jar gripper and other basic canning supplies. Strawberry juice can stain your linens, so I recommend using old kitchen linens while canning and wiping things up as you go.

Home Canning Mixed Berry Applesauce Recipe

11 to 12 lbs. large apples (peeled, cored, diced)
1/2 cup fresh or thawed blueberries (see above)
1/2 cup fresh or thawed sliced strawberries (see above)
1/2 cup of cherries, pits and stems removed (see above)
3 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Prep: Wash apples and dry. Remove stems and blossom ends. Peel apples, remove core and seeds. Cut apples into quarters and then dice. Treat apples with Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector to prevent darkening.

Cook: Drain diced apples. Combine apples, blueberries, strawberries and 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 fruit puree to the pan. Stir in granulated sugar and lemon juice.  Bring applesauce to a boil, stirring to prevent sticking until the granulated sugar completely dissolves. Turn the heat down to low-medium.

Fill: Ladle hot sauce 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 size 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. Once they reach room temperature you’ll want to check them to make sure that all of the jars sealed properly.

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During the summertime we eat a lot of watermelon. It’s one fruit that the entire family enjoys, including the kids. My 6 year old grandson would eat it every day, 365 days a year if he could. He loves it! Sam and I enjoy it as a low-calorie treat. It’s great for those who are watching their weight.

Last month I tried my hand at making homemade watermelon pickles. Some people around here refer to it as pickled watermelon rinds. Regardless, I used the recipe found in my Ball Blue Book on home canning and they turned out great!

You’ll need a water bath canner, pint size mason jars, a funnel, jar lifter, lid grabber, bowls, ladel, spoons, and a few other things to make them. I recommend that you use old kitchen linens (I keep a pile of them that I only USE for canning) so that you don’t ruin any of your good stuff. Canning can be messy! The recipe makes approximately 6-pint size jars.

Looking for more home canning recipes? We have over 100+ Canning Recipes on the TwoClassyChics blog. Soups, stews, fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, marmalades, pickles, etc.

Watermelon Rind Pickles Recipe

4 quarts 1″ cubed watermelon rind
1 cup Ball Salt for Pickling & Preserving
8 quarts water, divided
3 sticks cinnamon
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
1/4 tsp. mustard seed
7 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup thinly sliced lemon
2 cups white vinegar, 5% acidity

Wash watermelon under running water, drain. Cut watermelon into quarters. Cut each section into 1″ slices. Remove the dark green peel from watermelon but don’t cut away the white rind. The dark green peel can be thick and tough. I had to use a very sharp knife and go slowly while removing it. Use caution. Discard the dark green peel.

Cut off the pink flesh for eating. Place it in a bowl or container. Cut white watermelon rind into 1″ cubes. Place into another bowl.

Put 4 quarts of hot water into a large bowl. Add salt, stirring until the salt dissolves. Add cubed watermelon rind. Stir to get the rind coated in the saltwater. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Drain water and rinse watermelon under cool running water in a colander. Shake off excess water.

Tie spices in a spice bag (see list above).

Combine watermelon rind and 1 gallon water in a large cooking pot. Cook over medium high heat until rind is tender. Drain and set aside. Combine spice bag, granulated sugar, lemon slices, and white vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Add watermelon rind. Simmer watermelon rind until it’s transparent. Remove spice bag.

Canning Instructions:

Pack hot watermelon rind into a hot jar, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid over the rind. Remove air bubbls. Clear jar rim. Center lid on jar, adjust the band until its fingertip tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water in your waterbath canner. Repeat process until all of the jars are filled.

Lower the rack into the simmering water. Water must cover the jars by at least 1″ in depth. Adjust heat to medium-high. Cover and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover.

Let jars cool in the hot water for 5 minutes. Use a jar lifter to remove hot jars from the canner. I like to place an old cotton towel on my kitchen counter and then place the hot jars on top. Let jars cool for 8-12 hours. Check to make sure that all jars properly sealed. Label and store.

Notes: If any of the jars didn’t seal properly…refrigerate the pickles and enjoy them now! Once you open a jar you’ll need to keep that opened jar stored in your refrigerator. Never store your jars stacked on top of one another. They should always be stored in a cool, dry place and in a single layer.

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