canned applesauce

Yummy note: This summer I've been all about preserving my garden goods (aka, lots of tomatoes) by freezing, canning, and even tried pickling. Last year, I canned zucchini salsa, and that was my extend; this summer I've made several salsas, canned seasoned tomatoes, froze tomato sauce, and even canned some apple pie filling. What else could I try and preserve while I was at it... oh, ding ding, cue in my Secret Recipe Club October blogger -Brooklyn Locavore- for my answer. Melissa from Brooklyn Locavore had some fantastic choices to pick from in regards to preserving local produce. Her main focus is dedicated to living local and only purchasing local ingredients. With that in mind, I wanted to use the same "rule" for my blog post this month. My tomato crop had come down to a halt, so I decided to visit a local apple orchard in hopes to make fantastic tasting applesauce. I selected a small family owned apple orchard, Plank Road Apple Orchard, where I spoke with the owners and they were wonderful in helping pick just the right variety of apples. In fact, they said they put five different varieties of apples in my bag! Melissa noted on her blog, "most important is to use a blend of apples for the best flavor" and "keeping the sauce simple." So true...this applesauce was one of the best tasting ones I've made, and I didn't even have to add any additional sugar or spices. It was pretty amazing that these hand-picked apples were just the right mix of sweetness and tartness to make this applesauce perfect.  

Canned Applesauce 

http://bklynlocavore.com/2012/10/14/october-unprocessed-applesauce/

Ingredients: 
About 15 lbs or so of a variety of apples*  (yields roughly 8-9 pints)
few tablespoons of lemon juice
1 cup water

* Note: When you go to an apple orchard, ask about the best varieties they have for making sauce and baking with. Baking/sauce varieties might consist of Gala, Spartans, Empire, Jonathans, and/or others. Also ask about "seconds" - apples which are slightly imperfect. These "seconds" are fantastic for cooking or baking with, not to mention they are often a fraction of the cost, perfect for buying in bulk to use for canning or freezing. 

Directions: 
Prepare apples by cutting them into quarters and remove the core. Place apples in a large stockpot and add about a cup of water, along with maybe a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the pot. On medium to high heat, bring the pot of apples to a boil. Closely watching the apples, keep stirring the pot and smashing the apples with a potato masher to prevent apples from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Keep simmering the apples until they get very soft. It will probably take a good 20 minutes, depending on your apples. Once all of the apples appear to be mushy, transfer them to a food mill to remove the skins. At this point you have your applesauce, if you wish you could freeze it or begin the canning process. To can the applesauce, make sure you have your waterbath canner started and the water is boiling. While the waterbath canner is getting ready, put the applesauce back into the large stockpot to keep it warm while you prep your canning jars. Keep the applesauce simmering on low, as you want to keep the sauce warm while you are filling the warm canning jars. Ladle the warm applesauce into the canning jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles in the jar, wipe the rim clean, and place the lid and fasten the ring to the jar with a fingertip tight fit. Process in your waterbath canning for about 20 minutes. Remove the jars and let cool for about 24 hours before you check the lids for proper seals.
   

Plank Road Apple Orchard was so helpful in helping me find the perfect combination of apples to use for my sauce. Oh, and I HAD to get one of their apple cider spice donuts before I left. Yum

Apples heating away in a large stockpot turned to mush! Just right for pushing through the food mill. Using a food mill is simple enough so that my 3 yr old can be a big kitchen helper. Round and round we go

This food mill pictured here was one from my grandma that we used many years ago. I am glad we were able to find it after she passed away so we could be able to use it and keep it in the family now.  

Don't be afraid to try waterbath canning! It is fairly easy with just a few tools. Make sure to check the Ball® website for additional canning tips for starters.

Recipe runner-ups- Even though the canned applesauce recipe won out for this month, I really want to go back and try this strawberry/rhubarb jam, as I have some rhubarb I froze from earlier this year tucked away in my freezer.  Also, my daughter wants me to make these fresh mint chocolate cookies as we have a bunch of chocolate mint that she planted this year and we are not quite sure what to do with it all!   


Please take some time and visit all of the other great bloggers in the Secret Recipe Club Group C that have taken the time to share these recipes! If you want to learn more about the Secret Recipe Club or join the fun, check us out at http://secret-recipe-club.blogspot.com/

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