DIY Canned Applesauce

So I have mentioned before how much my family loves apples so obviously both of my boys (my son and my partner) LOVE homemade applesauce and rather than buying it at the store where you really do not know what you are getting I decided to give it a try this year. I was really quite surprised at how easy it really is. So I decided to put it up on here for those of you who have yet to try it but want to. So here it goes.

Ingredients

• Apples
• Sugar (optional)
• water 1 1/2 - 2 cups
• Cinnamon (optional)

You will also need canning jars, a large stock pot, a long spoon and I really recommend a canning kit the little tools it comes with like the magnetic wand, the jar tongs and the wide mouth funnel are really a big help as well as the canner pot is super useful.

I did my applesauce in two batches both half a bushel in size (or I filled one large stockpot a little higher than the top of the pot). For the first batch I used 2 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon and 2 heaping cups of sugar but the amount of this really depends on your preference. Just remember that you can always add more but you cannot take it out afterwards. The second batch I did unsweetened so I did not add any sugar or cinnamon.

Instructions

1. To start you need to peel and chop your apples. The size of the slices does not matter very much as long as you will be able to stir, you can soak them in water with some lemon juice so they don't go brown as your working on them if you prefer.
2. When your apples are peeled and chopped put them in your stock pot (without the lemon water if you chose to soak them in it). Than add your water so that your apples don't burn, I learned the hard way that they burn easily.
3. Cook your apples on medium heat stirring often until they are soft enough to mash with a fork, the time it takes to do this depends on the ripeness and type of apples you are using, I used a blend of Silken, Macintosh and Green Apples and they turned out really well. It took me about 2 hrs. While your apples are cooking you should sterilize your jars and tops there are a few options for this, some people have a sterilize setting on their dishwasher even the method you use is up to you really but keep them hot for the canning process. 
4. Once your apples are cooked you have a few options, 1) there are many tools out there to help with smashing your apples that can be both expensive and rarely used; 2) there is a food processor and 3) you can simply use a potato masher or a fork. I used a potato masher and mine turned out just fine.
5. Once mashed you can either put your apples back into the pot and add your extras like sugar or cinnamon and mix it in well so there are no chunks or you can simply add your applesauce to your hot jars and remove any and all bubbles from the applesauce using a fork. Bubbles will upset the setting process with your applesauce. When the bubbles are gone tighten the jars as tight as you can by hand.
6. To seal your jars put them in a pot of hot water up to the top of the jar and boil them for 20 minutes and remove them. If the tops are not popped do not worry they will pop as they cool down. Congratulations you have just canned applesauce.

Good Luck and Happy Canning!

I highly recommend that you follow USDA guidelines for canning to keep yourself and your canning in good standing and so that your canning is not ruined after all that hard work. I am not responsible for any injuries or bad batches attained while following my instructions your own caution should always be used when cooking.