Well as much as I hate to admit it, autumn is upon us. But don’t fret – there are still a few more canning adventures ahead! Fall means apples, so I canned up some applesauce!

My strategy to avoid burning is to peel and eighth the first few apples and get them heating over medium high heat, stirring frequently.

After the first few are going I get lazy and stop peeling them – I know Victorio will save me from the peels. If you don’t have a strainer though, you probably want to peel them. Get the canner, jars and lids ready while it heats.

Once all the apples were heated and starting to fall apart I ran them through the strainer. Look how pretty that is! Heating them takes 10 to 20 minutes depending on the apple variety and how many you do. If you don’t have a strainer puree them in a blender or food processor.

Return the sauce to the pot and bring it to a boil. This is when you would add a little sugar to taste if you like, or some nutmeg, cinnamon or other spices. In this case, I just left it plain and will add things when I open it because some of them I plan to use in baking. You can also add a little lemon juice for added safety since some apples are less acidic than others. One tablespoon per quart.

Maintain the boil while you fill jars with hot sauce leaving a half inch head space. Wipe rims, apply lids, and tighten the bands finger tip tight. Process the jars at full rolling boil for 20 minutes. When the time is up remove the canner lid, wait 5 minutes and remove the jars to a hot pad or towel. 12-24 hours later check the seals, remove the bands, wipe clean and store.