First, even though the apples were not sprayed with pesticides, I soaked them in a sink full of water with 1/2 cup of white vinegar added to clean off any dirt, pesticides, etc.

Soaking the apples in vinegar water

After we soaked the apples, we rinsed them well and dried them on the table while we played outside. (It took a while to soak all 50 pounds!)

Drying the Apples

Then came the time consuming part, cutting all the apples…. though I did have four little hands to help. I left the skins on because we blend the applesauce after cooking it, and it adds fiber and great texture. For those who don’t like skin, peel away, but I didn’t have the patience to peel that many apples! The fastest way I found to cut them was to cut into quarters, then cut at an angle to cut the seeds out of each piece and then cut each quarter in half.

Cutting the Apples

After we cut them, we threw the apples into the cooking pans. I had two large stainless steel pots on the stove and a crock pot on the counter and filled them all up twice.

Cooking Apples-The Best Air Freshener Ever!

Once in the cooking pans, I added 1-2 cups of water, several tablespoons of cinnamon to taste and about half a teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for nutrition and color.

The only other ingredients besides fresh apples... no preservatives or chemicals here!

I brought the apples to a semi-boil and then lowered to medium heat and simmered for a couple of hours until the apples started breaking down.

After the apples have cooked a couple of hours...

At this point, I blended the apples using a hand blender (not a hand mixer, you need something with blades). You can also use a regular blender, just cook the apples a little bit first.

Blending the Apples

I blended until smooth, and brought the apples back up to a boil. While the apples were heating back up, I sterilized the canning jars, and kept the lids in hot water until ready to use. I then spooned the applesauce into the jars leaving 1/4 inch at the top, wiped the rim with a towel and put the lids on.

I canned according to the instructions on my canner (5 lbs of pressure for 10 minutes).

One batch out of the canner-the finished product.

It made about 20 jars total, which at the rate my Bambini eat this stuff will last us a couple of months. Some things we use applesauce in:

• in recipes instead of part of the oil
• on sandwiches like grilled cheese-sounds weird, but try it!
• in muffins, strudels, etc
• in smoothies

Have a healthy week!

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I started making applesauce last year when we got an entire bushel through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and now it is the only kind of applesauce my kids (and husband) will eat. For anyone who has never tried homemade applesauce, there is a night and day difference between homemade and store bought (besides just the price).

Our adventure at the farmers market yielded about 50 lbs of apples (we got Dixie Reds, a variety we haven’t tried before) for about $20. This, combined with the other apples I have at home will probably make about 24 quart size jars of applesauce, which will last us about 4-6 months. The apples were not organic, but they were no spray apples and had not been coated in wax. I soak in vinegar to get any chemicals or toxins off.

The only other ingredients I add to the applesauce are cinnamon and absorbic acid (vitamin c) powder. Since I order the cinnamon in bulk, I get half a pound for $3.10, and use much less than that for all the apples. Since I already had the jars, this was my total cost for 24 quarts of applesauce:

• $20 for apples
• $4.50 for lids for the canning jars
• $3.10 for cinnamon
• $1.50 for Vitamin C

Total is $29.10, or $1.21 a quart… much cheaper than store bought.

Here’s the recipe in case you are interested:

• Apples
• Cinnamon
• Vitamin C powder

Soak the apples in vinegar and water in the kitchen sink for a couple of hours, this will help get any chemicals off. Once they have soaked, rinse well or there will be a slight pickle taste to your applesauce.

Cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores and any leaves. I leave the skin on, as we blend the applesauce later in the process and no pieces of skin are even noticeable, but feel free to peel if you prefer.

Put all the apples in a crockpot or large pot on the stove with a little bit of water (less than a cup) and cinnamon to taste. I usually add a few tablespoons of cinnamon for each pot full of apples and about 1/2 tsp of absorbic acid.

Cook the apples on medium heat until soft. Time varies, but expect at least a few hours. The house will smell great all day as they cook!

When the apples are soft and skins are starting to fall off, turn off the heat and let the apples cool to closer to room temperature. Use either a blender or hand blender (not hand mixer) to puree the apples until smooth. You could also use an hand mill for this, but I have never tried it.

Reheat the now smooth applesauce to boiling and then turn off heat. Put into jars and can according to your canner instructions. I have been told that just hot water bath canning in a large pot works for fruit like apples, but have not tried this either. This applesauce can also be frozen or kept in the fridge for up to a month.

See how we actually made the applesauce.

Stay healthy and happy!

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