Yes, I can can!
I feel a bit like the Little Engine That Could. All day as I peeled the apples and prepared them for saucing, my mantra was, "I think I can, I think I can."Here is my first attempt, the result of peeling a boatload of apples, cooking them down and ladling them into jars. It turns out that my home canning skills have not deserted me even though I haven't used them in donkey's years. All six jars sealed on the first try - hooray!
The Joy of Cooking recipe adds nothing to the apples but sugar, some lemon juice and water, plus spices if you like cinnamon in your sauce. Instead, I use unfiltered apple cider as the liquid in which I cook the apples - it enhances the apple flavor and adds just enough sweetness that sugar is not necessary. My neighbor's apples are a rather tart, astringent variety so they could have used a bit of sugar, but we will enjoy these slightly tart jars nevertheless, and I have about as many more apples to process so I can sweeten the next batch a bit more.
Have to be careful not to get cocky with the next batch. I think I could.
Labels: applesauce, canning
posted by Zoomie at
5:09 AM
8 Comments:
Well done! I must admit I am a bit phobic about canning. I had a jar break and what a mess.
So, I guess you got that congratulatory "ping!"
Next year. I promise.
Ah, I always make applesauce with cider, even though I am now down to doing just an eat-now batch now and then instead of canning.
The "ping" part reminds me of hearing that happen in the middle of the night the first time I ever canned anything -- a startling but glorious moment!
Greg, thanks! The ticket is to keep the jars hot so the hot food doesn't shatter them. I hope you weren't hurt!
Cookiecrumb, yes, ping x 24! I made two sizes, pints for gifts and smaller for just us two. It's not too late for this year - apple season is still in full swing!
Kudzu, I was writing a new blog post when the pings began - I had forgotten that sound!
Hmmm. Whenever I've made applesauce, I've used water instead of cider. Thanks for that pointer. Not that I'm going to be doing any canning.
I ate something last night that has me wanting to do a bit of preserving, but it will have to wait until I work out HOW and get home, of course.
Apple sauce and cold roast port sandwiches, yummy.
Dagny, you can do as Kudzu does and make just a batch to eat and not can. It doesn't take long.
Morgan, love the sound of that sandwich. I tried the jelly making and will post about the results in a day or two - thanks again!
For a while we were using cider to make applesauce, but we didn't have cider on hand for our most recent batch and used grape juice instead--a very good option if you find yourself cider-less, it gives a wonderful rosy color to the finished product.
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