How to Make Canned Apple Fruit
If you have a generous bounty of fresh apples, consider canning a batch for use during the winter. They can be eaten alone or used to make your favorite pies or other desserts. Home-canned apples are healthier than commercially-canned apples because they're free of preservatives and have only the sugar that you choose to add. They're also easier on the budget and absolutely delicious. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Water bath canner
- 20 pounds of sweet apples
- 7 one-quart jars with lids and rings
- Apple peeler
- Paring knife
- Apple corer (optional)
- 1 gallon of water or apple juice
- Sugar or splenda (optional)
- Bowl
- Large funnel
- Cooling rack or towels
Instructions
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Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars plus at least an inch. Put the canner on the stove to begin heating while you prepare the apples. Keep a teapot full of water simmering on the stove in case you need to add additional water to the canner. Organize your equipment ahead of time and work quickly.
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2
Choose naturally sweet apples such as Fuji, Rome, or Gala, because apples that are naturally sweet require less sugar. Canned apples taste best if you use a mixture of two or more types of apples. Twenty pounds of apples will yield a canner load of seven quarts.
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3
Wash the apples in cold, clear water, then peel them, removing any soft or brown spots. Remove the cores with a paring knife or apple corer, and slice the apples into thin wedges.
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4
Wash the quart jars in a dishwasher, using the sterilize cycle if your dishwasher has one. If not, wash the quart jars in hot soapy water, then boil them in a large kettle for 10 minutes. Keep the jars hot until you're ready to fill them with apples.
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Divide the apples into six-cup batches. Put one batch at a time into a large pot and add a gallon of water or apple juice. If desired, add sugar or Splenda to taste.
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Bring the mixture to a boil for five minutes. This will prevent the enzymes from degrading the flavor of the fruit during storage. Continue with each batch.
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Drain the apples into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Use a large funnel to fill the hot quart jars with apples, leaving 1/2 inch unfilled at the top. Jiggle the jars gently to settle the apples.
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Wipe the tops of the jars carefully, then put on the lid, followed by the ring. Tighten the ring securely.
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Put the filled jars in the canner and cover them with at least an inch of boiling water. If you live at an altitude of 1,000 feet or less, boil the jars for 20 minutes. If you live at a higher altitude, boil them for 30 minutes.
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10
Remove the hot jars from the canner and put them on a rack or a thick layer of towels to dry. Let the jars sit for at least 12 hours then test the seal by pressing on the center of the lid. The lid should be concave and shouldn't move. Remove the rings and put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator to use.
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