Homemade Canned Applesauce

 It's almost Christmas and today I am canning applesauce to give as  thoughtful, heartfelt, and inexpensive gifts. 

Total Time: 2 hours

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Processing Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

26 medium apples (I used Wisconsin grown Ida Red apples)

1 cup of hot waterPut 

honey, to taste (about 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup organic coconut oil

1/3 cup organic lemon juice, to keep acidity 

1 tsp organic vanilla

cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, to taste

*Prep you water-bath canning kettle, jars, and lids. Visit http://www.freshpreserving.com/getting-started for more information.

While your jars are heating in the kettle, wash, peel, core, and chop your apples. In a large stock pot, add all ingredients before adding apples. The order really doesn't matter, it just makes it a little easier. Set your timer for 20 minutes and let cook on medium-high heat. After about 20 minutes, stir well. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes longer, or until you reach your desired consistency; I like my applesauce to be a little chunky. After about 15 minutes, use a potato masher to bring to your desired consistency. Remove cooking pot from heat. 

*If you do not plan to can your applesauce and simply wanted a bomb recipe, you are good to go! 

You are ready to fill your jars! Carefully remove jars from the kettle and pour the hot water back into the canning kettle, this saves time bringing the water to a boil after we add the filled jars. I like to use a wide-mouth funnel when adding the applesauce to the jars; this helps to prevent food from getting on the jar rim which could cause improper sealing. After your jars are filled, wipe the rim of the jars with a wet paper towel or cloth. Put on the lids and turn the bands just until finger tight. 

Add the filled and "sealed" jars to the water-bath caner and process for 25 minutes. Carefully remove processed jars and put on a cloth or drying rack. Some lids may suck down right away, some may take a few minutes, don't worry! After about 20 minutes, gently press down on the middle of the lids, if they flex up-and-down, they aren't properly sealed and are not safe for storage. Give it a little more time. If your lid never sucks down, toss that jar in the freezer after it has cooled. 

If you are giving these away as gifts, it's nice to include an ingredients label.

A simple piece of fabric always adds a nice touch!