How to Make, Can, and Freeze Applesauce

I have two dwarf apple trees in my back yard. So every year for the last several years, I've grown more apples than we can eat at once. I've been making applesauce to cope with the surplus.

Making applesauce is also a good project if you're interested in eating locally. You can buy the apples from a farmer's market and know their source, and control exactly what goes into the applesauce you'll be feeding your family. If you're buying your apples, many experts recommend getting a mix of varieties.

Applesauce is also a good way to use up apples that are less than picture-perfect. But if you plan on canning or freezing the applesauce, you should really use only apples that are free of blemishes, bruises, or insect damage.

Essentially, making applesauce is pretty simple. I boil the apples in just enough water to keep them from sticking until they get very soft, mash them up, and add sugar and spices (or not). Because I usually am making big batches of applesauce, I pack some up for canning or freezing.

What makes applesauce difficult is peeling and coring all those apples. If you've got a lot of apples, and you are making a lot of applesauce, that can be a real chore.

Some food writers say it's OK to skip the peeling and coring and run the apples through a food mill. I've found that doesn't work very well for me. My food mill gets clogged with peels and seeds, and I end up with not very much applesauce.

So I peel and core. If you have red apples and like pink applesauce, you can do as my mother does and core but not peel your apples.

I collect my peeled, cored, and quartered apples until they fill the largest pot I own. I then add about 2 inches of water. The apples are not, as you might expect, completely covered.

I bring the pot to a simmer on the stove and cook the apples until they are very soft. At this point, I can easily mash them right in the pot with a potato masher, or puree them with an immersion blender. If the apples are tart, I add 1/4 cup of sugar for every pound of apples, or 1 cup of sugar for a large soup-pot's worth. If I'm adding spices to the batch, I add these now. I simmer the applesauce for a few minutes more to blend the flavors. It's important to watch the pot carefully so the applesauce doesn't burn. Other flavorings besides sugar that I've tried and liked are honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ginger.

If I'm canning applesauce, I ladle the hot applesauce into preheated sterilized jars and seal with the lids. I then process the applesauce in a boiling-water bath. If you're canning, it's important to read and follow expert instructions. I use those in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

When I'm freezing applesauce, I find it's best to use air-tight containers. I've tried lidded plastic containers from the supermarket and can-and-freeze jars from Ball. Both seem to work well. Applesauce keeps in the freezer for several months without a loss in quality.