Is canning hard?

[Ice Cream]

I add vanilla essence, cinnamon, ginger, cranberries, raisins, and some water.  No extra sugar.

[Honey Badger]

So if you don't mill it or you use the immersion blender, do you peel the apples first?  Do you core them?
That's the part I hate.

[badger]

So if you don't mill it or you use the immersion blender, do you peel the apples first?  Do you core them?
That's the part I hate.

1! The peeling and coring takes forever. I'd much rather use a mill of some kind.

We have a Squeezo, which is sort of like a Foley food mill on steroids.

The applesauce goes into the big bowl, and the stems, peels, seeds, etc. go into the small bowl.

DH also makes tomato juice and hot sauce with it.



Here e is cranking out the tomato juice. He scorched this batch. It tasted terrible. I felt sad for all the hard work he put into it:

[Run Amok]

I don't peel, but I do core, and chop. Takes a few minutes but probably not any longer than millig and it's a one pot deal, so definitely less cleanup!

[diablita]

I have one of those thingies that you put the apple on and turn and it peels and cores and spiral slices the apple.  Can someone hook me up with a good applesauce recipe please?  Why did it never occur to me to make it myself???  I live next one of the apple epicenters of the country (Hendersonville County).

[Run Amok]

I have one of those thingies that you put the apple on and turn and it peels and cores and spiral slices the apple.  Can someone hook me up with a good applesauce recipe please?  Why did it never occur to me to make it myself???  I live next one of the apple epicenters of the country (Hendersonville County).

I use the one in the idiet book. It's really yummy. A little bit sweet, but not crazy sweet.

[badger]

I don't peel, but I do core, and chop. Takes a few minutes but probably not any longer than millig and it's a one pot deal, so definitely less cleanup!

Good point. My friend makes over 150 quarts of applesauce every year though, so the Squeezo is the way to go for her.

How do you get the peels out?

We don't add sugar to our applesauce, but that depends on the apple variety. Just apples and water. Maybe some cinnamon.

[Run Amok]

I don't make nearly that much. I make applesauce maybe 1x/month. Usually on soup day- just one more pot on the stove. I eat the peels, silly! I like my apple sauce a little cunkier though, I guess.

6lbs of apples
4tbs of brown sugar
2 tbs of raisins (Ileave them out)
2 tbs cinnamon
2 cups of water

apples and water into a pot and boil, then turn down to simmer and simmer until broken down. Then stir in cinamon and sugar (I add salt too). Then I portion into 1/2 cup portions and freeze like that.

[Eco Ellen]

Here's the one I used.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/apples/r/r100124f.htm

[diablita]

so I can use the freezer jam containers I bought for applesauce?  and then just thaw each one in the fridge?  I spend a fortune on apple sauce for my DD.

[Run Amok]

I don't see why not. I just use regular plastic (or glass) storage containers. I also have some old yogurt tubs I use. Since you're freezing it- you can put it in just about anything. The indivdual portions are very convenient. You can thaw in the fridge, or you can nuke it. It's *excellent* warm. I find that we both prefer the taste/texture of home made to the stuff you buy in the store (by leaps and bounds) but it is a little different. It's a smoother consistency and much more flavorful.

[Eco Ellen]

so I can use the freezer jam containers I bought for applesauce?  and then just thaw each one in the fridge?  I spend a fortune on apple sauce for my DD.

If she likes store Bought spoke sauce she will die for this stuff. Neither of my kids would eat store bought... And they both ate some of this.  Even I loved it. I am already plotting when to make my next batch.

[Eco Ellen]

Leaving the autocorrects as is. Wtf.

[diablita]

what's wrong?  she loves Bought spoke sauce.  that was good advice. 

And yes, my DD was a fruit bat in a previous life.  She'd live on fruit (and bacon and rice) if I let her.  She loves all of the applesauce I buy -- often the organic squeezie things from TJs (she loves them) or the low sugar, organic brands from the store.

now I can't wait to get back fro FL in a week to make some.

[Eco Ellen]

I want to try these too- applesauce bars

http://southernfood.about.com/od/applecakes/r/bl30512j.htm

[Run Amok]

Yeah, neither of us like Bought spoke sauce... but love the home made stuff. I just know my dd sometimes is really picky about specific stuff and I could see her turning up her nose at the home made stuff if she liked the (blander, uniform textured) store stuff. But worth a shot, because MAN is it tastier.

[Ice Cream]

The only apple sauce in stores that is close to home made is at trader Joe;s, imho.  I leave the peel on, but cut in small parts and get rid of the pits and core. 

[diablita]

Thanks RA.  You're exactly right, she may do just that but I'll give it a try.

[diablita]

I really want to make applesauce but we keep eating all the apples 

[Run Amok]

I really want to make applesauce but we keep eating all the apples 

I buy "eating" apples (the good ones) and "sauce apples" (the cheap ones). Apples are crazy expensive this year though!!!