This post was originally published last November. However, we’re heading into applesauce season again, so I’ve updated it to include an organized recipe and am re-posting it now, for all of you who didn’t see if the first time around.
To me, applesauce is the quintessential fall food. I have fond memories of wandering the antique apple orchard at the Bybee-Howell House on Sauvie Island (a mostly agricultural island outside of Portland), really bundled up in scarves and layers for the first time of season, picking up windfall apples* with my mom and sister. Often, we’d bring our dog with us, and she’d run between the trees, tossing apples up in the air with her nose and then chasing after them.
We’d come home with grocery bags full of bruised, but still edible fruit. My mom would cover counter tops with newspaper and we’d begin to peel. When the fruit was all de-skinned, cored and chopped, it would go into her biggest soup pot with a splash of orange juice, cinnamon and grated nutmeg until it had cooked down into a homey sauce.
These days, I still make a yearly batch of applesauce, but I do it a little differently than we used to. I’ve learned over the years to not spend a whole lot of time peeling or chopping my apples. Instead, I cut the apples into quarters and remove the core (of course, if you have windfall fruit, you do have to invest the time in cutting away the bruises and bad spots). The quarters go into the pot with half a cup of apple cider to simmer. As they cook down, the skins will separate from the flesh of the fruit and you can just use a pair of tongs to fish them out.
I like slightly chunky, unsweetened applesauce, seasoned with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of cloves (depending on how I’m feeling, sometimes I’ll also add a bit of allspice or powdered ginger), so once the skins are removed and the apples are smashable with the back of a wooden spoon, I’m done. However, if you like a smoother product, feel free to puree or run through a food mill (at this point, you could also go in a different direction and cook it down further, for apple butter).
When it comes to adding sugar, fans of unsweetened applesauce can rejoice, as you are able to can applesauce without any additional sugar. If you want to increase the level of sweetness, you can add approximately 1/8 cup of sugar per quart. I sometimes add a bit of honey if I find the applesauce to be a little too tart. It’s important to taste your sauce before you can it, in order to balance out the sweet/tart flavors. If it’s too sweet, a bit of lemon juice will always brighten the flavors.
To process, bring your applesauce to a boil and pack into clean, hot jars, leaving a half inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles, wipe the rims and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 (pints) or 20 (quarts) minutes. Store in a cool, dark place and enjoy homemade applesauce all year long.
*The Bybee-Howell house used to be a historic site open to the public. They had a Wintering In event each fall that included hand pressed cider and so asked visitors to only pick the windfall apples, as they were saving the ones on the trees for the pressing. However, they lost their funding, the house is no longer open and the Wintering In event doesn’t happen anymore. So it may be that people are allowed to pick the apples. I don’t know for sure.
Homecanned Spiced Applesauce
Ingredients
- 4 pounds apples
- ½ cup apple cider or water
Optional spices:
- 2 pieces star anise
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- sugar
Instructions
- Quarter apples. Put them in a large, non-reactive pot. Add liquid and star anise (if using), put on lid and bring to a simmer. Let fruit cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the fruit has broken down. Use tongs to fish out apple skins.
- Remove star anise. Using a potato masher or immersion blender, break down the fruit until it has reached your desired consistency. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Taste and add sugar if you feel it is necessary.
- Pour applesauce into your prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and screw on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes for half pints and pints, 20 minutes for quarts.
- When time has elapsed, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined countertop.
- To store, remove rings and keep in a cool, dark place. Applesauce will keep in storage up to one year.
The apple skins do not magically come off and float to the top for you to skim off. They stick to the apple and you end up peeling mushy cooked apples instead of crisp uncooked ones. Fun.
I didn’t say that they magically floated to the top. I said that they loosen and you can pick them out with tongs. But I am sorry it didn’t work for you.
I have so many apples on our 2 trees this year and I want to make applesauce for the first time. I am diabetic so I’m pleased that your recipe has sugar as an optional ingredient. I’d like to know if it’s necessary to put the filled bottles into a water canner for 15 minutes. What would happen if I omitted this step? Would my apple sauce not keep well when I store it?
You need to do the processing step or you can’t consider the applesauce shelf stable. Without that step, the applesauce will mold within a few weeks in the jars.
Hi! I’ve tried a few of your recipes now and they’re delicious! I was wondering if you had any guidance on making a pear sauce – could I substitute an equal weight of pear instead of apple for this recipe??
Yes, that’s fine.
I just made this recipe with apples from Howell Territorial park! My brother got married there this weekend and the guests were invited to pick apples from the orchard there! Who knew I would find a recipe with roots from that very park! It’s delish! 🙂
That’s so fun!
Only few question’s.
1) Where should I keep unsweetened apple sauce ?
2) How long can I keep it there ?
Did you can it? If so, it is shelf stable for at least a year.
Hi, I made the Spiced Applesauce from Food in Jars over the weekend. Without a doubt it is the best applesauce, however i am concerned about the processing time. I used a few different types of apples and some took longer to cook so the consistency is quite thick. The recipe called for processing for 15 minutes for pint jars. Should I have used a longer processing time since the sauce is so thick and if so should I redo this batch? Thanks
I have a question. I sterilize my jars and put them in a low oven to keep them hot. As I am grinding apples, I can’t do it fast enough to get a full batch in the canner while they are still hot. I find if I let the filled jars cool as I am getting 7 jars ready, and put them in the hot water in the canner, they break. I usually have to let the canning water cool to warm, and then put the jars in because by that time all the jars are ready they have cooled quite a bit. That method doesn’t break my jars. But takes a lot more time to constantly cool and heat the canning water between batches.
So, here is my question. If I have hot jars in the oven, and I’m putting hot sauce in the jars, can i put that filled jar back into the oven to stay hot while i am waiting for a full 7 jars to be filled so i can put a full batch in the canner, and not have to waste time cooling and heating the canner between batches? One, is it safe? Two, will it actually work and keep that dense applesauce in the jar hot enough?
Why don’t you put each filled jar into the canning pot as you finished, so that they don’t cool down too much?
I LOVE this recipe!!! I have used it for the past two years. I make 2-3 batches, give some as holiday gifts, and make certain to save a stash for myself for the coming year.
As a non anise fan I was a little skeptical the first time I tried this recipe. However, the anise really adds a nice warmth that does not come through with the classic apple-cinnamon combo. Over the years I have tried batches with lemon peel added during cooking and the lemon juice added at the finish which brightens the flavor a bit. I have also added apple brandy right before canning which adds a slightly more adult note to the flavor.
Since it is time for this year’s batch I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this great recipe!
I’ll be making some of this tonight for my friends and I to share! 🙂
Hi! Thank you so much for your recipes and resources. Question: can you make pear sauce the same way? (i.e. do you need to add lemon juice to pear sauce for safety or can you process it just with pears and spices?) Thank you!!
Looks just like the applesauce I used to make. Reminds me of the first time my young sons were offered store bought applesauce – they said it looked anemic and had no taste. Also loved making apple butter every fall. Everyone in the family expected a jar for Christmas! So glad to see canning still going on ~
I have learned the easy way to cook my fruit (all of my fruit) in my large crock pot. Some takes 1 day, some takes 3 days to cook down. Stir when ever you go by. Just let it cook away. So easy then I hot water pack bath them right there. Not much mess and quick.
I have fond memories of picking up windfall apples in my Grandmother’s back yard (her’s were green apples) and in my Aunt’s back yard (she had red). It was the job of us kids to pick up all the apples on the ground for apple butter (and sauce, but more so butter) every year, not apples off the tree only the fallen ones. My Grandmother always told us that they made better apple butter & apple sauce that it was the same principle as banana bread – old brown bananas make better bread. My Grandmother was amazing like that.
I am wondering if you can safely add other fruit to applesauce and can it? Specifically, strawberries are in season where I live and I would love to make strawberry applesauce, unsure if I need to adjust acidity, or processing time, or sugar to make it safe? Thanks!
As long as the fruit you’re adding has a comparable acidity, you certainly can. I made a batch of strawberry applesauce a few months back and had I not eaten it up quickly, I would have canned it just like regular applesauce. https://foodinjars.com/2014/05/practical-preserving-strawberry-applesauce/
Thank you! I suspected it would be all right after reading on the extension services website that you can make fruit puree and can it for the same length of time, but I wanted to double check. I can’t wait to get started.
I am making this recipe today and canning away now that it is apple season in Australia! Our farm and nearby orchard is giving a plenty, so I am very grateful for the canning tip as I used to just make and eat in small batches 🙂
I have all of your books, I just love them! I am living my first year on our rural farm and learning so much along the way – including preserving! And your books are my bible 🙂 xx
How many pints does it make?
I’m so glad to see this! I just made a batch of my mother’s recipe for applesauce last night and canned it, but had a moment of wondering if I needed to add lemon juice this morning. My mom’s recipe is similar to yours, except she doesn’t bother coring or peeling the apples and just uses a food mill once it has cooked down. I used a combo of jonagold, macoun, and pink lady apples last night and was pleased with the outcome. Except the jonagold’s are so delicious that I’d rather just eat them raw!
How much does this recipe make? Ballpark idea so I have enough jars ready to go.
Thanks
Probably 4 to 5 pints, though it’s been several years since I posted that recipe, so I can’t tell you for certain.
Can I use this technique for pears also? I am trying to find a safe recipe for pear sauce but am having trouble finding one from a tested, reputable source. If I follow this and just change from apples to pears will I have a safe recipe to can? Thanks so much for your help. I have canned quite a few things from your recipes and am so grateful for your blog!
Hello,
I just made a batch of applesauce very similar to this but added some butter and canned it.
Does it seem that adding butter would render my canned applesauce unsafe to store on the shelf and eat?
Sorry for the very idiotic question…. I am very new at this!
No butter in canning. You need to throw those jars out as they are unsafe. You should always follow canning recipes exactly and not deviate or make adjustments, especially if you are new at this.
Your photography is Beautiful! I can’t wait to make this! Do the lids need to be prepared at all? I plan to make the sauce in the slow cooker all day then process the jars in a hot water bath. Do I need to do anything to prepare the jars? Thx
Yes, you need to follow proper canning procedure. Here are instructions: https://foodinjars.com/2013/07/new-to-canning-start-here-boiling-water-bath-canning/
So, can I safely say that any applesauce, regardless of how it is cooked, that contains sugar (brown or white), cider/water, and apples an safely be canned using appropriate waterbath techniques?
Yes. The only want to make it unsafe for canning is by adding low acid ingredients like onions or garlic.
Thank you! I really appreciate your site!
I add organic cinnamon and organic maple flavoring to our applesauce. YUM! Everyone loves it and each year I’m asked when I’ll have the applesauce ready. Once in a while I add organic vanilla (and cinnamon) but the sauce with the maple flavoring and cinnamon is the hit.
Enjoy!
I am in Alberta, Canada & I just followed this recipe yesterday-we LOVE it!!! Love that it lets the natural sugars shine through and isn’t overpowered by added sugar. We have a large producing apple (and tart cherry) tree in our backyard that makes great sauce. I loved that we didn’t have to peel the apples, however when I tried to pick the skins out, they were disintegrating and falling back into the pot, so I just used an immersion blender to mix them in-added fiber! 😉 Also, I totally forgot to take out the star anise before I did that, so they have a lovely anise flavor, which we love. Great recipe/guidelines & can’t wait to check out your other recipes.
Hello!! Thanks for the recipe, as usual. I did a “batch” (it was 20 lbs of fabulous Jonagolds). I tasted all the varieties at one of the local farm stands. Jonagolds won. They are totally a non-fave for eating but perfect for cooking – really soft and flavorful. I did half unpeeled and the other half peeled. Honestly, while you can pick out the skins, with a child who is slightly fussy, it was worth it to just peel them first. I did a spice bag for the first half and just re-used for the second round. They cooked fast enough that it wasn’t even worth it to dirty another huge pot. Combined both batches before canning… added a tiny bit of salt as was mentioned somewhere here I think. AWESOME. Other spices were star anise and cloves in the spice bag (a large fill-yourself tea bag) and nutmeg and cinnamon in the mix. No honey or cider, I used water for the necessary liquid, although I didn’t measure anything (um, yeah, I’m that person).
20# apples = 14 pints of sauce.
This is super fast if you peel and cut smaller. Especially if they are not firm apples. I had to wait for the dishwasher to finish with my jars. Usually it’s the water boil I wait for – new gas range has solved that though.
I’ll stop now. 🙂
I hope this is the right place to ask this. I made my first batch of anything canned yesterday. I made applesauce and the first recipe i found said to process for 10 minutes. Now stuff i read says 15. I made 6 pints and one 1/2 pint. Now I’m paranoid. Do i have to throw it all out?
I also am wondering freezing applesauce over canning, I’ve canned one batch so far and thought I would freeze this batch. Any advice?? How long will they keep and so on;;; any advice will be appreciated and by the way , Love your website!!! I made your tomato jam and rhubarb rosemary jelly, yum ,yum!!! Also peach jam.
Donna, I find that I like the texture of canned applesauce over frozen applesauce. They keep equally well.
I am making apple sauce again this year but am reluctant to can them as I did last year. How do you know if all the bubbles are out of the jar before sealing and processing. Last year I lost many many jars to false seals and fermentation. I am leaning towards freezing the sauce…any advise?
Made this last night!!
http://adventuresweseek.com/2012/07/30/cooking-on-a-sunday-night/
A friend left a huge bagfull of apples of my doorstep, thanks so much for sharing, I can’t wait to eat it and I haven’t even finished chopping the apples yet!
I took a jam class in SF and they recommend your site. I have to say even though I cook for a living I still did not grow up canning and jamming. I suppose I’m a tiny bit apprehensive about failure. My first attempt to can was today with your applesauce recipe. Very nice. I added some fresh ginger and a mix of whatever apples I could find here in SF at the Civic Center Farmers Market, which is for those of us on a budget.
Nice way to begin, I did add way less of the spices because my apples did not seem to yield that much. Which is fine since I really like the idea of “small batches” it’s the only way I can fathom doing more cooking outside work.
This is really a great site I plan on returning to often. Please let me know when you come to San Francisco!
This year will be my first time making applesauce. I’m anxious to try this recipe. I don’t see indication of how many jars it makes. Does anyone know how many pints or quarts I can expect from 4lbs of apples?
Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge so consistently on this blog!This will be our third year making/canning apple sauce for a family (we do it in the crock pot, boil half the peels, then puree them in the food processor to add extra nutrition). A few years ago we stumbled upon a revelation: salt. Cook’s Illustrated had done an apple sauce taste test, and one soared above the rest. They checked the ingredients: apples, salt. They added a touch of salt to the other competitors, and now there was very little difference between the top contenders. Now that we’ve started adding salt, I cannot believe how good it is compared to store-bought stuff.
(I’m probably breaking a “good-blogger” rule by posting this here before I post it on my site, but whatever, you’re the canning diva [in the very best sense of the word] so maybe you can try it out and spread the word.)
PS Sorry to hear about your job. Between my husband and I we have had 3 lay-offs in the past 18 months. Sounds like you have a great attitude about it. Wishing you all the best!
Hi, I have canned since I was about 15 yrs old with my stepmother who taught me how to can, I am now 70 and for the first time I decided to try apple sauce. I have shared some with a friend who loves them. I have noticed though that as the year slowly moved on– the top third of my apple sause has become browner and browner. Is this normal and is there a way to avoid this from happening? We usually dry our apples.
thanks for any feed back. Judy
I just finished my first batch of the season! Its mostly for my two year old to eat because she loves apple sause, but also sore for baking, I like to used apple sauce in place of oil.
Since the jars are processed for more then 10 minutes would it be safe to keep the jars warm in the oven before filling and processing?
Yes. That’s a fairly common practice.
I am so inspired to make applesauce after reading the recipe and all comments. I will report back on how it all goes.
Thanks for the tip on not peeling the apples. I love that! I’ve been doing it for years the hard way and every year I debate whether I have the space for a crank apple peeler. This is really helpful!
Use a Y peeler…this little utensil is a godsend…but be careful of the tips of your fingers!!
I knew I’d be likely to find the answer to my question here. I put some jars of applesauce into a water bath yesterday and the water looked very applely when they were finished. This morning, two jars are not sealed but ALL of the other had applesauce around the inside of the rings. They’re sealed though so I’ve cleaned them off and based on what I’ve read above, they should be okay.
Will check the seals again a few times over the next few weeks as I just checked the jars I did last week and one that I thought was sealed (had done the lift by the lid test) is completely open (with the attendant mould) – I think that was the jar I knocked against just after taking it out of the pot though and it had seemed to pop down the lid very quickly after that so I think it was a bit of a false seal.
Heh – it must be fall again, as I’m back looking at this page for the first time since last year. Marisa, can you give or point me to any guidance about types of apples to use? I made several kinds last year and some came out creamy/buttery while others stayed sort of firm and grainy (the apples were definitely cooked, but it just didn’t melt into sauce; I had to use a food mill and even then it had a different texture). I’m about to buy a LOT for sauce from our local co-op, and I’d like to be sure that I get a good result.