How to Can Applesauce and Pass Down a Family Tradition

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As homeschoolers, we spend a lot of time choosing curriculum and planning our school year, but what about some of the life skills and family traditions that you want your kids to learn? Have you allowed time in your year for these important learning opportunities? Have you ever thought about what family traditions you want to pass down to the next generation? Canning applesauce as a whole family is one tradition that we value in our family. Follow along as I show our step-by-step applesauce process and get a sneak peek into our family’s annual Applesauce Extravaganza. Here’s how to can applesauce and pass down a family tradition!

Video: How to Can Applesauce and Pass Down a Family Tradition

Our Applesauce Canning Tradition

When my husband and I got married, we became a part of his family’s applesauce canning tradition. Every year around late August or early September, the family gathers to make and can applesauce. Everyone is involved in this process. It’s a big event and a lot of work, but working together makes the job more enjoyable! (Not to mention all the yummy applesauce we get to take home with us!) It is a great feeling to fill your pantry with delicious applesauce to eat during the long winter months.

Over the years siblings, family friends, and now our children have joined in this yearly tradition. Everyone takes part in the work. There is a job for everyone to do. Our kids have observed this process so many times, it has become a part of their childhood.

We have always used Rambo apples. They are an heirloom apple. They are rather tart and we do not add sugar, but this is the kind of applesauce our family loves. If you like a sweeter sauce, you can choose a sweeter apple or add sugar.

How to Can Applesauce

Canning Supplies Needed:

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Paring knives

Several large kettles and bowls

Saucer: Kitchen Aid Mixer with Saucer Attachment, hand crank Victorio Strainer, or any other kind of saucer

Quart or Half Gallon Sized Mason jars

Small mouth and/or large mouth jar lids and rings, depending on the size of your jar mouths

Canning Funnel

Canning magnetic Lit Lifter

Jar lifter

Canner

#1 Prepare the Kitchen

When you make applesauce, you need a lot of counter space. We start by washing all the dishes and clearing the counters. If you are working in a smaller kitchen, you may need to set up an extra table to give more space. We thoroughly clean our kitchen sink because we fill it with apples and water to clean our apples.

The kids help us the night before by bringing up jars from the basement where we store our canned goods. We either wash the jars in hop soapy water or sterilize them in the dishwasher. It is important to have clean jars so that no bacteria gets into the applesauce.

The stovetop can get really caked with drippings of applesauce that spill out as it is cooking, so we prepare the stove by covering our burners with foil to catch the drippings. This way, when we finish at the end of the day, we can take the foil off and the stovetop. is mostly clean.

We make our applesauce inside on the stove top, but we have bought a separate camp stove that we set up outside to can the jars. This needs to be set up as well.

We have a few stations in our kitchen so we like to have these set up beforehand. They are:

• Cutting (dining room table)
• Cooking (stove top)
• Saucing (counter top)
• Pouring sauce into jars (counter top)
• Canning Station (outside camp stoves)

#2 Wash and Cut the Apples

To wash the apples, dump out enough apples to fill the sink. Turn on the water to fill the sink and rinse the apples well.

Using a paring knife, we cut the apples into quarters and core them with the paring knife as we go. Fill large bowls with the cut apples ready to go into kettles to be cooked. We typically have 2-3 people cutting at a time. You won’t need to worry about peeling because the peels will come off in the saucer. Also, although it is helpful to take out the cores, they will also come out in the saucer.

For the first time this year, we purchased a commercial french fry cutter to cut our apples. We weren’t sure how it would work, but it was a huge time saver! We pushed the apples through the cutter and hand-picked out the cores as best as we could. The smaller size of apples from the french fry cutter saved time cooking on the stove. It also made less applesauce drippings boiling over the tops of the kettles.

#3 Cook the Apples

Next we fill large kettles with the cut apples. We add a few cups of water (approximately 6-8 cups) to the kettle. You will have to experiment with the first kettle to know how much water to add. If the sauce is to runny, use less. If it is too thick, add more water.

Cook the apples until they are very soft and mushy, like applesauce. They will need to boil for 10-15 minutes to become soft. Make sure to stir the applesauce regularly to keep them from burning on the bottom. Keep a lid on the kettle because the applesauce will easily pop and boil over, making a mess. When you stir the sauce, it is helpful to have a long handled metal spoon and oven mitts. The mitts protect your skin from any applesauce popping out when you lift the lid to stir it.

#4 Run the Apples through a Saucer

Carry the hot kettle full of mushy apples to the saucer. Turn on the saucer and slowly pour the mushy apples in the top funnel. The apple saucer will sift out the peels and any cores or seeds. These will come out the side so you will need a bowl to catch the waste. You will need a second large bowl to catch the sauce coming down the saucer. The applesauce will pour from the front shoot.

For many years we used a Kitchen Aid Mixer with a Saucer Attachment. This works very well. You may have to clean out the saucer a little mid way through if you find it is running louder or if the sauce is coming out more slowly.

Over time and since we process quite a bit of apples every year, we invested in a larger commercial style saucer.

#5 Fill Jars With Applesauce

Fill the sterilized jars with the hot applesauce. We use a canning funnel to help keep from spilling the sauce. It can get messy without one. Fill the jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space at the top.

Use a clean cloth or damp paper towel to wipe off the mouth of each jar.

#6 Prepare Lids and Rings

Wash the jar rings before hand in hot soapy water. You will also want to boil the lids for about a minute on the stove top. This will sterilize them. It will also help soften the rubber gasket to help it seal.

Using a canning magnetic lid lifter, take the lids from the boiling water and place on the top of your jar. Screw the ring on the jar. It is important not to screw the lids on too loosely or tightly. Too loose and they may not seal. Too tight and the lids may buckle.

#7 Process Jars in Canner

Using canning tongs, lift your jars and place into a canner filled with very hot, but not boiling water. Fill the canner. Most canners will hold 7 quart jars or 4 half gallon jars. Turn the heat to a boil. As soon as the water starts boiling, you can start the timer. We process quart jars for 15 minutes and half gallon jars for 20 minutes.

#8 Remove Jars to Cool

When the applesauce is done processing in the canner, use the jar lifter to take your jars out of the canner. Place on a dry towel on the counter and allow them to cool for 24 hours before moving them. After 24 hours, you can remove the rings. Check to see that each of the jars sealed properly.

And that sums up how to can applesauce and pass down a family tradition!

What life skills and family traditions do you want pass down to your kids?

If you are looking for a family tradition to start with your kids, give applesauce a try! This has been a yearly event that we all look forward to.

You can also read about more foods to preserve with kids in 7 Easy Foods To Preserve With Kids This Summer.

You may also enjoy reading….

50 Life Skills That Should Be Taught At Home

Useful Life Skills Suitable To Teach in Winter

Useful Life Skills Suitable To Teach in Spring

Important Life Skills to Teach Kids in Summer

Valuable Life Skills For Kids To Learn in Fall

What types of life skills and family traditions to you want your kids to learn? Consider not just the curriculum or the academic work you want to teach them, but also the tools you are giving them to help prepare them for life. What legacy you are leaving to your children?

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