Watch the original video for an orchard-to-jar overview of making applesauce.
Use the Video with a Current Tested Recipe
Apple variety, jar size, elevation, added ingredients, and processing method affect a shelf-stable applesauce recipe. For canning, follow a current tested recipe from a reliable extension or recognized food-preservation authority. Use its exact fruit preparation, acidification if directed, headspace, jar size, and boiling-water processing time.
Choose and Prepare Apples
- Use ripe, sound apples; discard moldy, rotten, or fermented fruit.
- Wash fruit under clean running water before peeling or cutting.
- Combine sweet and tart cultivars for a more complex sauce, adjusting flavor only within the tested recipe’s options.
- Prevent cut fruit from browning with the method specified by the recipe.
Cook and Purée
Cook apples with the amount of liquid directed by the recipe until tender. Use a food mill, masher, or blender for the desired texture, taking care with hot liquid. Sugar and spices are usually flavor choices, but additions must remain within the tested canning recipe.
Choose the Storage Method
- Refrigerator: cool promptly and store in covered food-safe containers.
- Freezer: use freezer-safe containers and leave room for expansion.
- Shelf-stable jars: process only with the tested boiling-water method and elevation adjustment.
After Processing
Cool jars undisturbed for the period specified by the recipe, verify seals, label with the date, and refrigerate any unsealed jar promptly. Canning jars are not made shelf-stable merely by filling them with hot sauce.
Use the apple storage guide to sort the harvest before cooking, or browse bare-root apple trees.
