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APPLESAUCE


Applesauce is a smooth or chunky apple puree made from peeled (or unpeeled) apples, commonly spiced and sweetened with sugar or honey and served with roast meat. Applesauce can be used as a butter alternative for many baked goods and is delicious eaten straight from the jar, perhaps with some yoghurt and granola or used as a base for apple crumble. This recipe can be used for all apples – sweet, juicy and crunchy apples make the best applesauce - and you can add tart apples to sweet apples if you like. Applesauce is cheap to buy from the supermarket, however homemade applesauce tastes so much better, avoids artificial ingredients, has low food miles and takes advantage of apple harvesting time – buying apples in bulk means this is one of the lowest-priced items we preserve at home for our family, and is one of the first home bottled food I made for my children when they began eating solid food.
     
Ingredients for APPLESAUCE

1 Litre (1 quart) batch
4.5L (9 pint) batch
7 Litre (7 quart) batch
Apples
1.3kg (3 pounds)
6.1kg (13 1/2 pounds)
9.5kg (21 pounds)
Water
1/2 cup
2 1/4 cups
3 1/2 cups
Sugar (Optional)
1/8 cup
1/2 cup
3/4 cup
Bottled Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon
4 teaspoons
7 teaspoons
*Plus water and a squeeze of lemon juice for soaking prepared fruit
     
METHOD:
1. Weigh fruit to determine the bottling yield.
2. Sterilise all equipment by washing in hot soapy water and rinsing well before use.
3. Wash, peel (optional) and core apples. Dice apples finely.
4. Place apples into acidified water (water with a squeeze of lemon juice added) to prevent browning. Repeat washing, peeling, coring, dicing and soaking with the remaining fruit.
5. Prepare jars by boiling in a pot of water for 10 minutes before filling.
6. Soak lids in hot water (not on heat) for at least 5 minutes before use.
7. Drain soaked apples and place into a large pot with water. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until soft (5-20 minutes).
8. Mash all or part of the cooked apples, puree with an immersion blender, or press through a sieve or food mill.
Food Mill
9. Place apple puree, sugar (optional) and spices (optional - see flavour ideas below) into a large pan. Heat over medium until sugar has dissolved. Taste and add extra sugar, and/or spices as desired. Bring applesauce to a boil and remove from heat.
10. Add bottled lemon juice and mix well.
11. Pack hot jars with the hot applesauce to 1cm (1/2 inch) from the rim of each jar.
12. Using a non-metal utensil, remove any bubbles and add extra applesauce if required.
13. Wipe rims to remove any food residue.
14. Add warm lids and twist to secure.
15. Place sealed jars into a pot of boiling water and boil for the processing time stated below. Start the timer once the water comes to a full boil.
16. Turn off the heat source once the time is up. Remove jars from hot water after 5 more minutes. Cool jars overnight on a wood or fabric surface. Do not adjust lids during this time.
17. The next day, check jars have sealed before labelling and dating.
18. Store jars in a cool, dark and dry place for up to 12 months.
19. Refrigerate jars upon opening and consume contents within 2-3 days.
20. Dehydrate apple peels to make apple powder; or boil them just covered with water to make a mild apple juice (which can be used to make apple jelly with the addition of JamSetta or pectin and sugar).
  
FLAVOUR IDEAS:
Replace part of the apples with another type of fruit, or add a pinch of spice or a spoonful of juice (or liqueur) to a 500ml (pint) jar of applesauce, process according to the recipe and taste when opening to check flavouring. Make in larger batches as desired.

  • Apple Cider
  • Apple Juice
  • Apricots
  • Brandy
  • Brown Sugar
  • Brown Sugar + Cinnamon
  • Brown Sugar + Bourbon
  • Cinnamon
  • Cinnamon + Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Ginger
  • Ginger + Lemon
  • Honey
  • Honey + Ginger
  • Honey + Lemon Thyme
  • Lemon Juice
  • Lemon Thyme
  • Lemon Zest
  • Maple Syrup
  • Nutmeg
  • Rum
  • Sherry
  • Vanilla
       
Processing Time for APPLESAUCE in a Boiling Water Bath

Jar
Size
Altitude
≤ 1,000 feet
Altitude
1,001 - 3,000 feet
Altitude
3,001 - 6,000 feet
Altitude
≥ 6,000 feet
Hot Pack
≤ 500ml
(pints)
15 minutes
20 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
20 minutes
25 minutes
30 minutes
35 minutes


Processing Time for APPLESAUCE in a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner

Jar Size
Processing Time
Canner Pressure
at Altitude
≤ 2,000 feet
Canner Pressure
at Altitude
2,001 - 4,000 feet
Canner Pressure
at Altitude
4,001 - 6,000 feet
Canner Pressure
at Altitude
6,001 - 8,000 feet
Hot Pack
≤ 500ml
(pints)
8 minutes
6 PSI
7 PSI
8 PSI
9 PSI
≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
10 minutes
6 PSI
7 PSI
8 PSI
9 PSI
    
Processing Time for APPLESAUCE in a Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner

Jar Size
Processing Time
Canner Pressure
at Altitude ≤ 1,000 feet
Canner Pressure
at Altitude ≥ 1,000 feet
Hot Pack
≤ 500ml
(pints)
8 minutes
5 PSI
10 PSI
≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
10 minutes
5 PSI
10 PSI
     
        
Pork Chops with No-Added-Sugar Applesauce and Steamed Greens
Acknowledgement 
Kaya Wanjoo. Food Preserving kaditj kalyakoorl moondang-ak kaaradj midi boodjar-ak nyininy, yakka wer waabiny, Noongar moort. Ngala kaditj baalap kalyakoorl nidja boodjar wer kep kaaradjiny, baalap moorditj nidja yaakiny-ak wer moorditj moort wer kaditj Birdiya wer yeyi.
Hello and Welcome. Food Preserving acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and play, the Nyoongar people. We recognise their connection to the land and local waterways, their resilience and commitment to community and pay our respect to Elders past and present.
 
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