Oh Apple Sauce!

I thought I would can apple sauce today to use up more apples and share with Saylor for his lunches.  It is really easy to make but time consuming.  I like mine lumpy with texture.  How about you?

20 large apples

4 cups water

2 ½ cups of sugar

Cinnamon (Optional)

Lemon juice

Peel and slice your apples, add the juice of half of lemon or a couple teaspoons of juice to your water and your sliced apples.  This will prevent  discoloration while you are peeling all of the apples.  Put on medium heat, simmer, and stir regularly.  When the apples have broke down and turned to sauce, add your sugar and bring back to a boil. If it gets too thick add a little more water.

Pack while hot in sterilized pint sized jars to within ½ inch of the top.  Put on a new cap making sure the lip of the jar is not chipped and it is clean.  Screw the band on tightly and put in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes. 

Variation:  You can add different flavors to your apple sauce.  Add a couple tsp. of cinnamon, or some blueberries or both.  You can also flavor the sauce with strawberries by adding strawberries while you are boiling the apples initially or add some strawberry jelly when you add the sugar.  You can also add cinnamon red hots for a real cinnamony flavor.

Tomorrow I'm going to make apple chips and fruit roll ups.

Hope you have a great weekend.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.