Applesauce

There is nothing better than homemade applesauce. My favorite apples to turn to sauce is the Fuji or Gala. I used Gala's this time. They don't get a rosy color to them in the heat of Las Vegas, but they sure taste great. Our family went to the local farm and picked a whole lot of apples. It takes about 2-3 pounds of apples per quart.
I began by washing and peeling all of my apples. I didn't have a fancy crank peeler, I peeled them all by hand :(  Then I sliced and cored them in one motion with the best tool in my kitchen.

Cook the apples in a large covered pot with just enough water to prevent sticking. As the apples cook they will produce juice which will also aid in the non sticking effort.

Don't worry about the apples browning a little, they will still taste great. Cook the apples until tender.
Then puree the cooked apples using a food processor or mill. (Or in my case a Vita-Mix).

Sure it took me a little longer to puree all the apples, but I already own the Vita-Mix and didn't want to purchase yet another tool. The Vita-Mix worked great too.

Return your pureed apples to the pot. If you desire a sweeter applesauce now is the time to add sugar. A 1/4 cup per pound of apples should be more than plenty. I find that the Gala and Fuji apples do not required additional sugar. I do like to add some spices though. cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice are great to add in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Turn your heat up to high to bring the applesauce to a boil (212 F). Don't forget to stir to prevent sticking.


While this is preparing to boil, multi-task your attention to your jars. Are they warm enough? Are your lids in hot water ready to go?

Maintain the boil while filling your hot jars.

Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the top of the jar clean with a wet towel. Place the lid and ring on the jar and hand tighten.

Place jars in your water bath canner. Process for 20 minutes in boiling water.

I did get tired of peeling apples by hand and thought I would try a batch with the peels on.

The batch turned out just fine. The Vita-Mix annihilated any trace of peel. I will be doing it that way from now on. So much easier. But, if you have a food mill or the means to purchase or borrow one, that makes this even easier!