Canning With Kids: Applesauce

My kind neighbor let us pick their apples so we ended up with about 2.5 bushel, yeah!  Currently, a 1/2 bushel of apples is about $17-$20 from the nearby fruit stands, so I was very grateful.  I added the neighbor's apples to the 1.5 bushels I already purchased.  We canned for 5 hours and ended up with 30 quarts of applesauce and about a 1/2 bushel left for eating. 

Here's how to do it. Read all directions before beginning to ensure you've got everything!

An hour or so before you start - wash the lids & jars in the dishwasher.

Step 1. Fill one side of the sink with water.  Add apples to wash them. 

Step 2. Set the kids to chopping.  Give them a cutting board & knife.  Cut the apples in fourths, cutting out any bad parts like worm holes.  Leave skin, stems, core, etc on.  Send younger kids out to play with the 6 year old watching them. 

Step 3. In a large pot (mine is 12 quarts), put about 1-1/2" of water on the bottom.  Add apple pieces to this.  When it's really full, put the lid on and set it on the stove on med-high heat.  Bring to boil, and boil about 40 minutes until apples are soft. 

Step 4. Keep on washing & chopping apples while boiling apples.  Set up a food strainer (victorio strainer is the kind I have.) 

Step 5.  When apples are soft, drain the water out.  Put soft apples in the top of the food strainer and set the kids to work pushing the apples in on top and turning the handle. 

Step 6.  I keep washing & chopping apples while the kids are making the applesauce. I get the water bath canner ready to go by adding water to the bottom and putting it on the stove to start boiling.


Step 7. Get a small pot and put an inch or two of water in it. Add the lids and start it boiling.

Step 8.  Hopefully by now, the kids have 6-7 quarts of applesauce made.  Get a towel out and set a couple hot jars from the dishwasher on it.  Put a canning funnel in the first jar.  Scoop the applesauce in the jar, leaving a 1/2" head space.  Tap the jars on the towel to help them settle.  You can use a table knife to help the applesauce settle and avoid air bubbles.  

Step 9. Wipe the top of the jar with a paper towel so no residue remains. Get a lid from the pot of boiling water (use a magnetic canning wand or if the kids stole yours like they did mine, you can use tongs.) Put on top of the jar and put a ring on. Tighten, but not too much.

Step 10.  Continue to fill your jars until you have enough to fill your canner.  If you have extra jars that won't fit, put them in hot water in the sink so that they stay hot. 


Step 11. If your jars from the dishwasher are no longer hot, you can put them in clean hot water in
the sink. You want the jars hot when you put the hot applesauce in. 

Step 12. Put the jars in the canner and process for the recommended time (see your instructions.) My quart jars had to be processed for 30 minutes in a steam canner because I live at a high altitude.


Step 13. Call all the kids back to continue making applesauce, since they all ran away when your back was turned filling the jars with applesauce Repeat until you've got them all done!