My area of expertise always shifts to the kitchen during the months of August and September. Cleaning house, yardwork, and, yes, blogging are second to putting up produce from the garden and canning.
This week we’ve put up applesauce, dilly beans, and blueberries. Today we will show our applesauce-making process.
We live in the western half of the US where I have not found one single Early Transparent apple for applesauce. This was the kind my husband grew up with back east and these apples must like the east only because if it grows out here, it has escaped my notice.
But I did find a second close – the Molly Gold apple. It is tarter just like the Early Transparent and we get ours from Yakima, WA.
We wash and quarter them first. When you use a Victorio strainer, you don’t need to take the cores out. I love that! Makes applesauce so much easier.
Anybody else grow up cooking their apples this way? My mom and Aunt Karen used to do applesauce together when I was a young girl. And I can remember them blowing breakers in the kitchen because of trying to use too many electric skillets at once.
So some skillets got moved to the bathroom! I can distinctly remember apples cooking in the bathroom. Such great memories.
I only have one electric skillet and so I also cook some in pots on my stove. Honestly, two pots and one skillet is all I can keep up with.
After they are cooked, it is time to put them in the Victorio. This is the fun part!
Here is where you holler “Boys!!” And they come running. They all love to do it, so we have to take turns.
After the applesauce is separated from the peelings and waste, we mix in the sugar while it is still warm. And of course you must sample it!
I have never used stevia in anything, but this article by Gina at Home Joys piqued my interest today. She uses stevia in canning and it’s something I might have to look into. I cringe when I lug home 50 pounds of sugar during canning season.
The finished product — 27 quarts of applesauce in my freezer. We prefer frozen applesauce to canned. Something both my husband and I grew up on. So delicious come winter!
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Sharon's Country Store says
Looking good! Are you done? I always end up making mine late when its cool outside and I do it on the porch! Wish I had more freezer room, id freeze more too.
Kendra Graber says
Yes, I’m all done! Such a good feeling. I have quite a few leftover from last year when I canned some in late fall. We don’t like it as well, but it’s good for school lunches.