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    Home » Food Preservation » Canning » Canning Applesauce – 4 easy ways

    Canning Applesauce – 4 easy ways

    Posted on September 22, 2020 By Beth Neels

    126 shares
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    Applesauce Pinterest image with text overlay.
    Applesauce Pinterest image with text overlay.
    Applesauce Pinterest image with text overlay.

    In the fall when the apples get ripe, one of the easiest things you can do with them is Canning Applesauce. Just two ingredients is all you need! A step by step guide to easy applesauce!

    Close up of one jar of applesauce.

    Making homemade applesauce is a great way to preserve lots of apples in a short amount of time so that you can enjoy them all year long! Learn 3 different, easy ways to make it here.

    What kind of apples should you use?

    You can really use any apple you have access to. Firm, sweet apples make the best applesauce. I usually use a mixture of varieties for a more rounded flavor.

    Use 2/3 of a sweet variety and add 1/3 of any of the tart varieties to make a well rounded, flavorful sauce.

    Sweet varieties

    • Golden delicious
    • Honeycrisp
    • Fuji

    Tart / sweet varieties

    • McIntosh
    • Jonagold
    • Granny Smith
    • Pink Lady

    Tangy / tart varieties

    • Cortland
    • Braeburn
    • Liberty
    Two bowl of sauce with pink tea towel.

    Can you use a water bath canner?

    Yes. You certainly can. Apples have a high acid content and can be safely canned in a water bath canning pot with no added acid.

    There are two methods you can use for canning applesauce. The first one is faster and easier because you use a food mill or vegetable strainer/juicer, so there is no need to peel the apples.

    If you do not own either of those tools, you will need to peel the apples first, or just keep the skins on and make a slightly chunkier sauce.

    White bowl with sauce on pink towel.

    What sweeteners can you use?

    I prefer to can the sauce with no added sugars. It gives you more flexibility in using the sauce. You can always sweeten individual servings, after opening.

    If you would like to sweeten the applesauce, you can use

    • sugar
    • brown sugar
    • honey
    • maple syrup
    • sugar substitute, like Splenda

    What you need

    • apples
    • water or apple juice
    Colorful apples on marble background.

    Optional ingredients

    • sugar
    • spices, such as cinnamon
    • nutmeg
    • cloves
    • ginger
    • vanilla
    • lemon or orange zest
    • other fruits, such as; mango, pear, cranberry, cherry, blueberry.
    Five jars of applesauce with colorful apples.

    What if you want a chunkier applesauce?

    If you want a chunky applesauce, leave the peels on (this also increases the fiber in the sauce). Use an immersion blender, food processor or even a potato masher to mash the apples after cooking, leaving some chunks.

    If using the potato masher, I would suggest peeling the apples first or you will have large chunks of the peels in your sauce.

    You can cook it in a variety of ways

    Use the stovetop

    1. Wash apples.
    2. Core apples.
    3. Place apple halves in large stockpot with about 1″ of juice or water in the bottom of the pot. Don’t overfill the pot with apples because you will have to stir to avoid burning on the bottom. Place lid on pot. Bring to boil.
    4. Reduce heat to medium high and cook down until apples are very soft, 5-20 minutes.
    5. Using slotted spoon, remove apples from liquid. Use food mill, vegetable strainer, immersion blender or food processor to mash.
    6. Load apples into food mill.
    7. Discard skins.
    8. Place the sauce back in pot to keep warm.
    9. Save the liquid. It is all natural apple juice!
    Making applesauce process collage- details in recipe below.

    Use your slow cooker

    • Core apples.
    • Place apple halves in slow cooker with about 1/2″ cup of juice or water in the bottom of the pot.
    • Place lid. Slow cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours until very soft.
    • Using slotted spoon, remove apples from liquid.
    • Use food mill, vegetable strainer, immersion blender or food processor to mash.
    • Reheat the sauce just before filling jars.

    Use the microwave

    If you are short on time, you can even use the microwave to cook the apples.

    • Core apples. Cut into chunks.
    • Place apples in a microwave safe bowl. Cover bowl. Microwave for about 4 minutes, until apples are very soft.
    • Use food mill, vegetable strainer, immersion blender or food processor to mash.
    • Rewarm sauce just before canning, so that it is hot when added to jars.

    Use your instant pot

    You can also use your instant pot to cook the applesauce.

    • Core apples. Cut into chunks.
    • Place apples in the inner pot. Add ½ cup water or juice. Close lid and lock vent. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes. Natural release for another 10 minutes. Release additional pressure.
    • Use food mill, vegetable strainer, immersion blender or food processor to mash.
    • Rewarm sauce just before canning, so that it is hot when added to jars.
    Close up of white bowl with applesauce.

    Canning the sauce

    • Wash and sterilize jars in your canning pot. Keep them sitting in hot water, until the sauce is ready.
    • Wash lids. Add hot water to jars and keep warm until sauce is ready.
    • Remove jars one at a time from canning pot. Drain water.
    1. Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars, using a wide mouth canning funnel and ladle, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Using a knife or plastic chopstick, remove any air bubbles that may have formed along the edges of the jars.
    2. Wipe jar rim with damp towel to clean any debris.
    3. Retrieve lid from hot water with magnetic lid lifter. Attach to jar. Screw on bands fingertip tight.
    How to can it process collage- details in recipe below.

    Add jars to canning pot using your jar lifter. Process pint jars 15 minutes or quarts 20 minutes, adjust process time for altitude. Start timer after water comes back to a boil. Allow jars to sit in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Remove jars to counter and allow them cool, undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

    Check lids for seal. If lids pop up and down in center, jar did not seal. Store any unsealed jars in refrigerator for about 1 week.

    Store sealed jars in cool, dry place for about one year.

    Why did my jars leak after removing from the canning pot?

    If your jars have leaked after removing them for the pot, you have experienced a common canning phenomenon. This is called siphoning.

    The most common causes for siphoning are;

    • Not allowing the jars to rest in canning pot, after turning off heat. This gives the jars a chance to start to cool down slowly.
    • Overfilling your jars. Leave at least 1/2″ headspace. (the space between the product and the top of jar)
    • Hidden air pockets in jars.
    • Defective lids.

    What can you do if you experience siphoning? Check the seal. Make sure jars have sealed and lid does not flex up and down when pressed in the middle. If jar is sealed, the product will be fine. Wash the excess liquid off of the jar and store as usual. Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated and used within one week, or frozen. See notes for freezing below.

    Close up of jars of applesauce.

    Freezing

    If you don’t have time, or just don’t want to can the applesauce, it can be frozen in wide mouth jars. Be sure to leave a 1″ headspace. Applesauce can also be frozen in freezer bags or other freezer containers. Allow sauce to come to room temperature before freezing.

    Pro tips to ensure your success

    • You need about 21 pounds of apples to make 7 quarts of sauce.
    • No lemon juice is needed to can applesauce safely.
    • Allow jars to rest in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, before removing from pot.
    • Use a mixture of apples for a more rounded flavor.
    • Add optional ingredients after sauce is pureed.
    • Keep sauce hot until it goes into jars.

    Other canning recipes

    • How to can tomato sauce
    • Green tomato salsa
    • Canning jalapeno jelly
    • Candied jalapenos
    • Canning cherry pie filling
    • Kosher pickles

    Love Gardening? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss our How to Start a Garden Series!

    The first section is Planning Your Garden. Second is Preparing the Garden Site.

    The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance.

    The last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this article has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!

    2 white bowls filled with applesauce with silver spoons.

    Tools I Use

    • Water bath canning pot
    • Canning tool set
    • quart canning jars
    • paring knife

    I hope this tutorial for canning applesauce has been useful for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I’ll do everything I can to help.

    Connect with us through our social media ages! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.

    If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

    Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

    Binky's signature
    Close up of jar of applesauce with red apple.

    Canning Applesauce

    In the fall when the apples get ripe, one of the easiest things you can do with them is Canning Applesauce. Just two ingredients is all you need! A step by step guide to easy applesauce!
    See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: canning, Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Servings: 56 servings
    Calories: 88kcal
    Author: Beth Neels
    Cost: $20

    Ingredients

    • 21 lbs apples see notes above for varieties
    • 2 cups water or substitute apple juice

    Instructions

    • Core apples. No need to peel but you can peel, if desired. (See notes)
    • Add apples to large pot. Add water.
    • Cook apples for 10-20 minutes, until very soft and tender.
    • Using slotted spoonremove apples to a food mill or vegetable strainer/juicer to remove peels. Or leave peels on to increase fiber.
    • Applesauce can also be processed with immersion blender or food processor. They can also be mashed with potato masher, but if you choose this method, remove peels.
    • Prepare jars and lids.
    • Ladle hot applesauce into hot jars with wide mouth funnel and ladle, leaving 12" headspace.
    • Remove air bubbles with plastic chopstick or knife along edges of jar.
    • Wipe rims with damp cloth.
    • Attach lids.
    • Place bands on jars and tighten fingertip tight.
    • Process 15 minutes for pints. 20 minutes for quarts.
    • Allow jars to rest in hot water for 5-10 minutes before removing from pot.
    • Place jars on kitchen towel on your counter. Test for seal. Lids should not flex up and down when pressed.
    • Store sealed jars in cool, dry place. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 1 week.
    Water Bath Canning Pot
    canning jars- Quart
    canning tool set
    saucepans
    See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!

    Video

    Notes

    Yield 7 quart jars or 14 pint jars
    One bushel of apples yields 14-19 quarts of sauce.
    If you would like to you can peel the apples before cooking with an apple peeler or vegetable peeler.
    Applesauce freezes well. See Freezing section in tutorial for method.
    Apples can be cooked on stovetop, in slow cooker or in microwave. See tutorial for detailed directions for each method.
    Use a mixture of varieties for added flavor.
    Keep applesauce, jars and lids hot until jars are filled.
    Optional ingredients
    • sugar
    • cinnamon
    • cloves
    • ginger
    • vanilla
    • lemon or orange zest
    • other fruits, such as; mango, pear, cranberry, cherry, blueberry.
    Processing times for water bath canner, adjusting for altitude
    Information from National Center for Home Food Preservation
    For Pints
    0-1000 feet above sea level 15 minutes
    1000-3000 ft. 20 minutes
    3000-6000 ft. 20 minutes
    above 6000 ft. 25 minutes
    For Quarts
    0-1000 feet above sea level 20 minutes
    1000-3000 ft. 25 minutes
    3000-6000 ft. 30 minutes
    above 6000 ft. 35 minutes
    Canning pressure for dial gauge canner, adjusting for altitude
    For pints -8 minutes
    0-2000 feet above sea level 6 pounds
    2000-4000 ft. 7 pounds
    4000-6000 ft. 8 pounds
    above 6000 ft. 9 pounds
    For quarts – 10 minutes
    0-2000 feet above sea level 6 pounds
    2000-4000 ft. 7 pounds
    4000-6000 ft. 8 pounds
    above 6000 ft. 9 pounds
    For pints or quarts – 10 minutes
    0-2000 feet above sea level 11 pounds
    2000-4000 ft. 12 pounds
    4000-6000 ft. 13 pounds
    above 6000 ft. 14 pounds
    For weighted gauge canner
    For pints – 15 minutes
    0-1000 feet above sea level 5 pounds
    above 1000 ft. 10 pounds
    For pints – 8 minutes
    0-1000 feet above sea level 5 pounds
    above 1000 ft. 10 pounds
    For quarts – 10 minutes
    0-1000 feet above sea level 5 pounds
    above 1000 ft. 10 pounds

    Nutrition

    Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Canning Whole Tomatoes {Pressure – Water Bath} »
    126 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle

      November 03, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      Love it! I always use my slow cooker to cook the apples, but I’m afraid to try actual canning so then I usually freeze it. I think I’m going to give your method a try, though! Thanks so much for the tips!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        November 03, 2020 at 12:48 pm

        Absolutely! Thanks for checking out the recipe Michelle. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    2. Sharon

      November 03, 2020 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      This is a wonderful way to use up those bushels of apples and be able to enjoy them all year long.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        November 03, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        It certainly is. Thanks for checking out the recipe Sharon!

        Reply
    3. Toni Dash

      November 03, 2020 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      I loved how easy this is to make!! Thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        November 03, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks Toni! You are welcome. Glad you liked it.

        Reply
    4. Traci

      November 03, 2020 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      Everything we need to know about canning applesauce is right here! So informative and touching all the points to make it so simple. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        November 03, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks Traci. I’m so glad it was helpful!

        Reply
    5. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

      November 03, 2020 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      The combination of flavors in this dish is great! Love it!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        November 03, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks Shadi! Glad you liked it.

        Reply
    6. Rosemary

      September 22, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      Quite impressive. Love how your canned applesauces turned out. I’d love to make my own apple sauce, but I fear I’ll not the canning right. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. Just the confidence I need to try this recipe.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        September 22, 2020 at 1:12 pm

        It is really not as difficult as folks make it out to be. This applesauce is one of the easiest to do! Thanks for checking out the recipe Rosemary!

        Reply
    7. rika

      September 22, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I am going to make more applesauce this weekend to give it to friends!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        September 22, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        I love gifting homemade canned goods too. Thanks for checking out the recipe!

        Reply
    8. Luci

      September 22, 2020 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      I just bought a bunch of apples to make applesauce so this is perfect for me! My little one loves applesauce so I thought it would be fun to try and make it at home. I will definitely be following your recipe and using your tips! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        September 22, 2020 at 12:33 pm

        Great! I’m glad this will help you! Thanks Luci, let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    9. gina

      September 22, 2020 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      Going apple picking this weekend and will be sure to come back to this simple recipe!

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        September 22, 2020 at 12:33 pm

        I love apple picking! Thanks Gina. I hope it helps!

        Reply
    10. Dannii

      September 22, 2020 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      I keep meaning to do this, and this recipe looks really easy with some great tips.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        September 22, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        Thanks Dannii! I appreciate you checking out the recipe!

        Reply

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