A couple quart jars of apples for pie, the rest are applesauce - plain and flavored with honey & sage for Christmas gifts.
Applesauce is so easy to make! There's no need to peel the apples and you can make interesting sauce variations using herbs.
Traditionally, applesauce seems to come plain or spiced with cinnamon and sugar.
I like to sweeten the finished sauce with a bit of honey and add herbs such as sage, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc., just before packing into clean, hot jars, then canning using a water bath or steam canner.
Herbed applesauce makes a nice gift. I made extra for Christmas giving.
An easy way to core apples is to use a knife. Pretend the apple is square and cut away the sides. It's faster than using a corer.
I place my cut apples into water containing produce protector to prevent browning.
The Ball Company - maker of canning jars - has a product called Fruit Fresh. I use 1-1/2 TBS of Fruit Fresh per quart of water to prevent browning of the cut apples. You could use a quarter cup lemon juice to a quart of water for a similar result.
I've put about four pounds of apples into a large pot with one cup water (1/4-cup water per pound of apples). I'll bring this mixture to a boil then turn it down to a simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the apples are soft.
Drain the apples in a colander and put them through a food mill.
There are several types of food mills. I prefer the ones with a hand crank rather than a wooden pestle. The crank models are faster and extract more of the pulp. All types of food mills separate skins from the pulp.
I add about two TBS of honey per pound of apples but sweeten to your own taste preference. I like to add up to one TBS of fresh, chopped sage to each pound of apples used. If you use dried sage cut the amount by half, or more. The amounts are similar for other types of herbs, or to taste.
Pack the applesauce into clean, hot half-pint or pint jars. Leave 1/2-inch headspace. Add a lid and band screwed on only finger tight.
Heat process in a water bath or steam canner for 15 minutes. Be sure to add one minute for each 1,000 feet above sea level.
Flavored with sage and honey, this applesauce will make nice gifts! I'll add a decorative fabric topper, tied with cord or ribbon. The saged sauce goes well with pork and poultry dishes.
What to do with the left over apple cores? You could toss them on the compost pile. Or, you could do what I do...
Toss them to the Girls for a treat!
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