(Psst. Don’t forget to save the peelings and scraps for homemade apple scrap vinegar. Or feed the peelings and scraps to your chickens/pigs or put them in your compost pile.)  

Throw all of your prepped fruit into a large pot. Add just enough water to keep them from sticking to the pan. (Not too much, or your sauce will be on the runny side…)

Cook the apples until they are soft. It doesn’t take long. If you like, you can add cinnamon or other spices at this point, although I  usually prefer to wait to spice it until I serve it.

The next step depends on your preference. If you like thick, chunky homemade applesauce, use a fork or potato masher to mash the cooked fruit in the pot until it reaches the desired consistency.  If you prefer your sauce smooth, then use a immersion blender (one of my favorite kitchen tools!), to puree everything right in the pot. (If you don’t have a hand blender, use a food processor instead.)

Bring the mashed/pureed applesauce to a boil.

Carefully ladle the applesauce into the hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

1/2 inch headspace means that the sauce will fill the jar only to the bottom of the “lip.” It’s very important to pay attention to headspace when you’re canning. It allows for expansion/contraction, and sometimes the jars will not seal if the headspace is incorrect.

Wipe the rims with a damp cloth to remove any spilled sauce that might prevent the lid from sealing.

Use your handy dandy lid lifter to place the heated lids in the center of the jar.

Then, screw on the rings- finger tight only!

Lower the applesauce jars into the canner, making sure that the lids are covered with 1-2 inches of water. (You can add more water to the pot if you come up short.)  Process homemade applesauce pints and quarts for 20 minutes at a vigorous boil.

Keep in mind that you may have to adjust your processing time according to your altitude. We are over 6,000 feet, so I added an additional 10 minutes, which made my total processing time 30 minutes.   Remember: Don’t start timing until the water has returned to a boil.  

After their time in the water bath is complete, pull them out and allow to cool. You should start hearing that happy “pop!” of a sealed lid.