Three batches of applesauce left us with 23 quarts to show for our efforts. Applesauce takes a long time to make, or at least compared to just dumping fruit in jars and canning. The apples have to be cored and peeled, then cooked, then run through the food mill, and then it's finally ready to can or freeze.
In the past we've done applesauce from Jonathan's and Rome's and added some sugar. This year we did Jonathan's and Jonagold's. It's flavorful and needed no extra sugar. I think it's a winner!
This weekend my daughters are making apple pies for a girl scout fund raiser. We have Jonathan's Jonagold's, and Gala's but I don't know which makes a better pie. So we did a pie tasting. We did Gala's in one pie and a mix of Jonathan and Jonagold in the other. After everyone tasted, neither one came out the clear winner. Some like one and some liked the other. Truthfully, they were both pretty good.
Our day start started at 9am and we collapsed by dinner time. My arms ached. My legs ached. My back ached. And today we do it again. Of our 14 boxes of apples, we only got through 2-1/2. Today we'll do applesauce again, but I think we'll take the extra step of making apple butter. I'm going to try using the crock pot.
Time to get started...
I've been meaning to say 'hi' on your blog. Looks like you've been very productive. Don't know if it will help, but I've never peeled apples for sauce. I core, cut out bad spots, simmer till soft, then run them though my food mill. The peels are separated from the sauce. I'd be happy to loan you my food mill if you would help cut down on time.
ReplyDeleteJanet