Making Applesauce! (& canning)

I love homemade applesauce!!

Bring the kiddos to the apple orchard, pick your own apples, bring 'em home and make applesauce!!

Here's the recipe I use: 

Homemade Applesauce

*a peck or two of apples!!

-use as many apples as you want...just enough for you to make for a couple days or enough that you have jars worth to preserve!-

1 peck = about 2 crockpots worth

*1/2 c. sugar

*1/4 c. water

*cinnamon

*red cinnamons (gives it the pinkish color and adds some flavor too)

Directions:

1. Peel, cut & core apples and put in crockpot.

2. Pour 1/4 cup water over apples in crockpot.

3. Let cook down a bit and then add the 1/2 cup sugar and some cinnamon.

4. Let apples cook down until it's almost to your desired consistency (this can take several hours)

5. Add the red cinnamons when you have at least an hour left--you want to give them enough time to melt!

Wallla! Done.

If you want to can:

6. Boil the lids, wash the rings & jars.

7. Scoop the very hot applesauce into the jars, put the boiled lids on and screw the rings on.

8. Place hot, filled jars upside down on a towel overnight to cool. 

A hot water bath is not necessary because the applesauce is so hot--the lids should seal overnight!

MMmmmm..mmmmm....do you like yours smooth or chunky? :-)

The batch I just made with Mom--the applesauce was a little runny because the apples were so juicy!! But that's okay by me, I like my applesauce SMOOTH!

I always try to have 2 crockpots when I make applesauce--that's about 30 to 40 apples per crockpot! You want to make your days worth of picking apples & peeling worth it!

NOTE: Haralson Apples are great for baking/canning!