Every year during home canning season I like to make 12-18 jars of creamy applesauce for my winter pantry. It’s fairly easy to make and always tastes better than store bought applesauce. I typically follow the Ball Applesauce Canning Recipe but do cheat by using my slow cooker to cook down the apples which I’ll explain below.

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Slow Cooker Tips: I wash, peel and core my apples. I chop them into smaller pieces. Place into the slow cooker and add just enough water to cover them. I sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of fruit fresh (fruit protector) so that they don’t turn brown. Stir. Cover. I slow cook them on the high setting for 1 hour and then turn the heat down to low. Slow cook them for 3-4 hours on low or until they’re super-soft.  Use a slotted spoon to fish them out of the water and place in my Ninja (blender). Cover and blend until they’re nice and creamy. If you want to add ground cinnamon…add it after blending and stir it through the mixture to distribute it. I transfer everything to a large saucepan and simmer it over low heat on the stove-top for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Then I proceed with canning it.

Applesauce is canned using a water bath canner. You’ll need the canner, glass mason jars, seals, rings, a wide mouth funnel, jar gripper and other basic canning supplies.

Home Canning Creamy Applesauce Recipe

11 to 12 lbs. large apples (peeled, cored, diced)
(treat diced apples to prevent browning with Fruit Fresh)
3 cups granulated sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon

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 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 apple puree to the pan. Stir in granulated sugar, lemon juice and the ground cinnamon to taste. 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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Last month we took the grandchildren out apple picking at a local orchard. Every year we like to go and pick a few bushels of apples. I like to make homemade apple butter, apple sauce and apple pie filling that I can for use during the winter season. I like to use some of them to make apple crisp, apple bread and apple dumplings too! Yes, it’s apple season in the northeast!

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When I make homemade apple butter I follow the recipe in my Ball Blue Book of Home Canning. It’s my tried and true trusted source for all things canning! I typically make 2 batches over the course of a weekend. It does take time to make so patience will be needed but your results will be well worth your effort. The recipe will make approximately 6 half-pint or 3 pint size jars.

Tip: Use an apple corer and peeler when working with fresh apples. It makes the process quick, safe and you waste LESS apple compared to peeling and coring with a knife.

Apple Butter Recipe

4 lbs. apples (12-16 medium sized apples)
2 cups water
4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves

Prep: Wash apples, drain. Core, peel and remove seeds. Cut apples into quarters. Toss them into a large saucepan or stock pot.

Cook: Combine apples and water in a large pan. Cook at a simmer until soft. Puree mixture using a food mill or blender. Measure 2 quarts of apple pulp, return to saucepan. Add sugar and spices, stirring until it dissolves. Cook at a gentle boil over medium heat until mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon. This will typically take me 30-45 minutes. Make sure you stir it often to prevent sticking and scorching. If mixture gets too thick, add a small amount of water or apple juice for desired consistency. Remove from heat.

Fill: Ladle mixture into a hot jar, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Remove air bubbles, add the seal and ring until its fingertip tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water in your water bath canner. Continue until all jars are filled.

Process: Lower the rack into the simmering water. Place the lid on top. The water needs to cover the top of the jars by at least 1″ depth. Adjust heat to medium-high and bring the water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars or pint jars for 10 minutes. Use a timer so that you’re accurate on your processing time. Turn off heat and remove the lid. Let jars cool for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner using a jar lifter, being careful to not burn yourself. Let jars cools to room temperature. Label and store jars in a cool, dry place.

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