sprinklefingers

did you read my post on applesauce? i hope at least three people did, because that applesauce is totally worth making. and eating.

now i’m here to talk to you about canning the motherload of applesauce you’ve just made for yourself. or are thinking about making for yourself.

technically speaking, you could cook your applesauce then store it in the fridge for a few days until you have some free time to can it, but if you do that, you’ll need to be sure to re-warm your applesauce before ladling it into the jars to be canned. hot stuff in the jar helps with the sealing process. that said, i’m going to tell you about canning assuming you have a hot slow cooker full of hot applesauce in front of you.

you’ll need:

• canning jars (i like 8-12oz jars)
• lids & rings for canning jars (already on the jars if you get them new.)
• jar lifter or heavy duty tongs to remove jars from water bath
• large pot (any giant pot will do, but a water bath canner will make the job easier. and one with a rack will make it easier still.)

please note: jars and rings are reusable. the lids ARE NOT. so, once you’ve made your initial investment in jars, all you’ll need to do for your next canning project is purchase new lids. which are usually available in the baking aisle of your supermarket.

1. first, wash your jars and rings. i usually do this in the dishwasher right before i’m ready to can so that the jars are actually hot/warm when the applesauce goes in.
2. next, boil some water and pour it over the lids. let them sit off heat until they are ready to use.
3. then you’ll fill your giant pot with water and put it on the stove to boil. keep in mind, you’ll be putting jars of applesauce inside, so don’t fill the pot too full or it will overflow. usually mid-way full is good, and then you can have another pot of water heating up that you can add to the top AFTER you’ve added your jars so that they are covered by 1”-2” of water.
4. just before your giant pot reaches a boil, ladle the applesauce into a jar (within 1/8” from the top,) place the lid on top and screw the ring on tightly. repeat until applesauce is all jarred.
5. your pot will now be boiling. if you have a rack, it will be elevated in your pot and you can place your jars on it. then you’ll lower your rack into the water. BUT, you can do this without a rack. wearing an oven mitt, using your tongs, VERY CAREFULLY set the jars down into the water. (i canned for years before i got my first water bath canner, rack and jar lifter. so, if you aren’t fully committed to buying all the accessories, don’t worry - it CAN be done without them. i find these useful.)
6. if you need to add more boiling water to the pot to cover the jars, do it now.
7. let the jars process for 5 minutes, minimum. i usually let them go 6 minutes, depending upon what i’m doing when the timer buzzes. as long as they process for a minimum of 5 minutes and everything was hot when you put the applesauce into the jars, they should seal.
8. after 5 minutes, you can begin the tricky business of extracting the jars from the water. this is done easiest with a jar lifter, yes. but you can also use tongs and a heavy duty oven mitt. you kind of ‘pick’ the jar up with the tongs and then use your hand covered with the mitt to steady it.
9. remove jars and place them on a thick kitchen towel. once you set them down, do not move them for 24 hours.

within a few minutes of removing the jars from the water, you should start hearing the jars seal. they make a slight popping or sucking noise. when you hear a few of them make that sound, start checking the seals on all of the jars by simply pressing down in the middle of the lid. if it pops back, it’s not sealed. but never fear! some jars take a little longer than others! just give them some time.

place any jars that don’t seal in the fridge and eat within the week. your jars that did seal can go into the pantry and you can take your time eating those! up to a whole year!

now think of all the other things you can can! and if you’d like to learn the ins & outs of trickier canning and live in lovely portland, you should go here! they love canning.

ps: hopefully it goes without saying that you need to be careful when canning. you are dealing with a hot, steamy pot of water and you can burn yourself. but it’s not scary. it’s not!