I get great satisfaction and fulfillment out of making my own products at home instead of buying them at the store. Whether it’s homemade nut milk, bread, or applesauce, there’s something inherently gratifying when you can create something nourishing with your own two hands instead of buying it from someone else. There’s more intention and love behind it. And that definitely shines through in the finished product.
Back in the days when I still sold goods at the farmers market, I became rather adept at canning and preserving. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it seems to be a lost art and skill. It’s something that our grandparents used to do out of necessity, but these days it seems more like a novelty.
To help resurrect the lost art of canning and preserving, I’m sharing with you the incredibly easy and fulfilling process of making your own shelf-stable applesauce . You don’t need a fancy water bath canner or equipment. In fact, as long as you have clean jars with new 2 piece lids, apples, a pot, and an oven, you’re in business. I always prefer my own applesauce to store-bought versions because it’s velvety smooth, full of flavor, and a beautiful golden hue. Plus, I can flavor it any way I like or leave it plain.
If you’d like to see any other tutorials on the blog, let me know in the comments 🙂
Homemade Applesauce
notes: for this batch I used a combination of Galas and Gingergold. Overall I’ve found Galas to be best in terms of consistency, texture, and flavor but honestly your applesauce will taste like the apples it’s made from so use the ones you like to eat. Feel free to use any spices you like. One of my more popular offerings at the market was a cinnamon vanilla bean variety that’s more akin to a dessert than humble applesauce. For a bit of perspective, I used a little more than 5 pounds of apples and it yielded 4 full pint jars with a couple of spoonfuls leftover for me to snack on.
Peeled and cored apples, roughly chopped
filtered water (1 cup for every 2 lbs of apples)
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
a large pot with a lid
clean jars & unused 2-piece lids (the lids that come with mason jars) — I used pint jars
a baking pan
a clean tea towel/dishtowel
a spatula or large spoon
an immersion blender or regular blender
Thoroughly clean your work space and any tools you will use before you get started. If you are planning on canning your jars and making them shelf stable, preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line your baking sheet with a clean tea towel and arrange your clean jars and lids on it. Once the oven reaches 250 degrees, place the tray with the jars in the oven and leave them there for at least 30 minutes so that they will sterilize. The jars can remain in the oven until you are ready to fill them.
To make the applesauce, combine the apples, water, and lemon juice in a large pot over medium heat. Cover the pot with a lid. Allow the apples to cook, making sure to stir them every few minutes. When the apples are very tender and have started to break down, remove the pot from the heat and set the lid aside. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the apples until you reach a consistency you like. I prefer a very smooth consistency myself. If you don’t have a blender you can use a potato masher. It will be a bit chunkier this way.
Return the applesauce to medium heat and cook it for an additional 5 minutes. Be careful not to get burned because it will splatter and sputter as it cooks. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the jars from the oven and set them close by your pot. Fill each jar with the applesauce leaving about 1/2 an inch of headspace at the top of the jar (this allows the applesauce room to expand as it’s heated during the canning process). Once the jars are filled, gently tap them on the counter to help remove excess air bubbles. Then, using a clean damp paper towel, wipe any excess applesauce off the rim of the jars. Put the lids and rings on the jars, screwing on the rings until they are just finger-tight. Then, return the pan with the jars to the preheated oven. Leave them in the oven for 15 minutes to process.
After 15 minutes, remove the jars and allow them to sit undisturbed for one hour. You’ll hear the popping sound of the lids depressing as the jars cool and they seal themselves. After one hour check to make sure that the lids sealed (the center “button” will be depressed). If any jars have not sealed, put them in the fridge and consume within a couple of weeks. Allow the sealed jars to cool overnight or for at least 12 hours. Store in your pantry for up to one year. Once you open a jar, store it in the fridge and make sure to eat it within a couple of weeks (though I’ve had some jars last up to a month).
