A Bushel Of Apples and How I Used Them

     As you know I was able to get organic apples at Sprouts for $.49 a pound.  I decided it was a great deal so I bought a case that was marked a bushel.  It worked out to just over 38 pounds.  Once your home with something like this you kind of have to step back and evaluate all the wonderful possibilities. 

     I decided to start with applesauce since it's such a versatile food, and the truth is, I think probably the easiest.     
  

 There are two things you can do with the applesauce once you make it.  You can preserve it in a jar for your pantry or freeze it.  Whoops, make that three, you can eat it.  Since I still have some in my freezer I will be canning them this time.  Frozen in small containers and then put into a large zip lock bag makes it handy to use for lunches, meat dishes, marinades, and baking. 

  I gather up what I will be needing but for me this can take a day or two since I still had a lot of my jars in boxes in the garage, still needed to buy lids for the jars, and just the usual day to day chaos living. 
   Jars, pint or quart, lids, rings, pot to boil jars in, pot to cook apples, potato masher utensil, apple peeler, jar lifting tongs, jar funnel, apple slicer which is optional.   

Wash, peel and core and then cut all apples up.  Put the apples in a large pot almost to the top and add a cup of water.  If needed add a bit more water.  Cook on a medium to low heat until they are soft enough to mash.  Keep a close eye on them, stirring to make sure they aren't sticking.  I mash them and stir them, then come back to it in a bit and mash some more.  I like to cook some of the liquid out to get the consistency that I like which is a bit thicker than store bought.  For a really smooth texture you could use your stick blender or food processor, but I think it just makes for more of a mess and hot splattering foods can hurt. 

   Once it is cooked and mashed you then pour it into your jars.  I keep my jars in a pot of boiling water with the lids and rings.  Once it is poured into the jars, about a 1/2 inch from the top, put the lid and ring on.  Put into the boiling water, and if it's not boiling all the way, start timing it from when the boiling starts.  I then boil the jars for 25 minutes.  Lift the jars out of the boiling water, set them on a towel in a place where they won't be bothered for a while.  The next day I check to make sure all the lids have sealed down by looking at the tops of the lids. 

     This is an easy first project for those wanting to learn to can,
wanting to fill the pantry with healthy foods that are budget
friendly.  It has a lot of different options, such as adding
cinnamon or mixing with other fruits. 
Some recipes recommend using a tiny bit, 1/2 tsp. or so of citric acid.  I've made it without that, but sometimes will use a small amount of lemon juice.  Since I don't measure I would say around one tablespoon but a bit less will work just fine.  Some recipes add sugar, but I prefer the natural sweetness of the apples.  Do try to use apples that you like, some types are a bit tart such as granny smith, although some people love those.   

Some Helpful Links:

Making and Canning Applesauce With Kids

National Center for Home Food Preservation

Next Post: What I Did With the Remaining Apples