I'm back! Haha! I took a little break from my project but I'm ready to go again. This week it's going to be a little of "how to can applesauce" and my Project 52. I have always wanted to learn to can food but just never did it. I finally decided to take the plunge and go for it! There was a starter kit for canning that I purchased online to give me the essentials of what I needed to start.
First I needed to find an apple orchard. Since moving to the Oshkosh area, we haven't gone to an orchard and hadn't really heard about any. Then while at work, my husband heard co-workers taking about buying apples to make applesauce and asked where they were going. It happened to be The Little Farmer apple orchard in Malone, WI. I saw my neighbor friend on a walk and the conversation turned to The Little Farmer orchard and she had only good things to say about it. She also wanted us to pick her up two apple pies, which they are famous for. My husband and I made the trip down there to find a very nice apple orchard with a lot of fun activities for little kids and families. They have a very nice store with all kinds of jams/jellies, sauces, syrups, carmel, apples, baked goods, pies, muffins, cookbooks, seasonal items, butters, children's toys, mixes, pottery, candles and much more! We got my friend her apple pies, which we had to fight for and my Gala apples.
The next day, I started my canning process. First I got the tallest pot I have and put my pint Ball jars in the basket with water filled an inch above the jars and started the burner on High. I put the lids in a small sauce pan and started heating the water up too. You want to simmer both the jars and the lids for 10 minutes.
I got my apples out and all the ingredients I would need for the recipe. I used organic cinnamon and honey.
Our yellow lab, Abby wanted to enjoy the beautiful day outside and was just chilling by the back door checking everything out.
I then got to work coring and peeling the Gala apples.
By the end of peeling the apples, I was getting pretty good at it and could almost have the whole apple peel connected. But I might ask for a peeler because that was a little tedious. Maybe a Christmas gift??? LOL
Put all the apples in your pot with an inch of water and boil for twenty minutes.
After cooking, mash up the apples with a potato masher. Then add in the rest of your ingredients. I put 2 tsp of cinnamon and about 2 cups of honey.
Take out your pint jars from the water bath they have been in and pour the applesauce into them. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Put on lids and bands till they are fingertip tight.
Put the filled jars back into the water bath, cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Take out of the water bath and leave alone for 12-24 hours. Then label and store.
Enjoy!
