How to Can Applesauce Without Sugar

Fall is here, and there’s nothing as quintessentially fall as canning applesauce. And this tutorial for how to can applesauce will show you multiple methods for doing exactly that.

With summer canning winding down, I’m more than happy to embrace the flavors and smells of warm fall spices, and the sweetness of apples and pumpkin.

In particular, applesauce is a fairly fast and easy fruit to can, and watching your pantry shelves fill up with food your family will enjoy all winter long is satisfying as a homemaker.

What kind of apples make the best applesauce

With applesauce, the answer is a little different than with most other apple recipes. While nearly any variety of apple can be used, a combination of varieties are often considered to be best.

Why? Because some apples have the best flavor, but not the best texture. Another might have great color, but lack flavor and texture.

In general, Golden Delicious is considered to have the best texture for apple sauce. Keep in mind that we’re not going for nice, crisp apples here, but rather soft and smooth, without being watery, and Golden Delicious wins in those departments.

For flavor, some prefer to add a more tart apple into the mix to add some brightness to the flavor. These are usually Fuji, Gala, or McIntosh.

The goal with flavor (for me at least), is to have the full flavor of apples without needing to add any extra sweetener. I feel like you get that best using a majority of yellow delicious, with some extra Fuji apples. I have noticed that a lot of people like to use Braeburn, and Honeycrisp apples.  Granny Smith can also be used, but don’t add much flavor – only tartness.

But that all comes down to personal preference.

The bottom line is that you can – and should – use what you have, and what you prefer.

What tools are needed for canning applesauce

In order to process your apples, the minimum equipment needed is a knife to peel and core, and a way to puree or mash the apples.

Our grandmothers successfully processed food for their families with minimal equipment for generations, and it can still be done.

However, if you plan to make a substantial amount of applesauce, and especially if you can other foods that need to be deseeded and pureed (such as tomatoes), I can’t tell you how much time and effort you can save by using a food mill.

I’m a cheapskate in general, but this is one kitchen tool that is well worth it in my opinion.

Also called a fruit and vegetable strainer. You can get an attachment for you Kitchen Aid mixer that will peel, core, and puree your apples all in one step. You can also get hand-crank versions such as the Norpro I use, shown in the video below. Or a Johnny Applesauce maker. This one is a little more pricey, but well worth it for large batches. It’s fast, and can go all day.

For canning the applesauce, you will need the basics – jars, lids, and a water bath canner.

I use a random assortment of canning jars. I haven’t seen that one brand is really better than another. For lids, I do prefer Denali canning lids, which I buy in bulk. But most others work well. I am cautious about using Mainstays brand, as I’ve had a higher than normal failure rate with them.

For the water bath canner, any stock pot with a rack inside, that is large enough to hold jars, and tall enough to cover them with at least an inch of water over the jars. I like this stainless steel canner best, purely because the glass lid lets me see when it’s boiling without having to lift the lid.

Other tools that are helpful are a canning a canning funnel, and jar lifter.

General guidelines for canning fruit

• Fruit can be water bath canned with no problem. While you definitely don’t want bad bacteria infecting a batch, you don’t run the risk of botulism and other truly harmful bacteria that you do in lower acid foods that need to be pressure canned.
• Cleanliness is next to godliness. Make sure your tools, jars, etc. are all clean. The last thing you want is nasty bacteria hanging out in a jar of applesauce. And of course, you want a good seal. Making sure your jar rims and lids is the best way to avoid popping seals and moldy applesauce.
• You can reuse jars and rings many, many times over, but it’s best to use new, unblemished flats each time.

How to can applesauce

Prepare apples. If using method one or two, you will need to peel and core your apples. If using method three, you will simply need to quarter them.

1. The blender. Peel, core, and steam/boil in a small amount of water. When apples are tender, blend them in batches in a blender or food processor.
2. Potato masher. Peel, core, and steam/boil apples in a small amount of water. Make sure they’re truly done and not just tender but mushy. Then use your potato masher to puree apples. This method can leave you with some chunks, which can be good or bad depending on what you like.
3. The processor. Quarter your apples, steam them till they’re somewhat soft, and run through your food strainer such as the Johnny apple sauce maker, or the Norpro. Depending on your strainer and the texture of your apples, you may need to run the pulp (seeds, peelings, etc.) back through your processor 2-3 time.. After using many different types, I’ve found that I actually prefer the Norpro. It’s just a lot simpler to set up, use, and clean up.

See all three methods demonstrated in the video below:

To can:

I consider this to be a cold process method, even though the apples are cooked, by the time we can them they are cooled, or largely cooled.

1. So fill your canner 2/3 full of water, and insert the canning rack.
2. After apples have been processed, stir in lemon juice
3. Ladle applesauce into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
4. Wipe rims with a clean cloth.
5. Screw down lids and rings firmly.
6. Arrange in canner, adding more water if needed to reach a depth of at least 1 inch over the jars.
7. Place lid on canner and heat to a rolling boil.
8. Process both pint and quart jars for 20 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and let cool 5-30 minutes with the lid off.
10. Remove jars from the canner, and let rest, undisturbed for another 24 hours.
11. Check seals, wash jars if needed, and store out of direct light.  

Additions and substitutions

There isn’t much to substitute here, except perhaps swapping lime juice for lemon, or using an equivalent amount of citric acid.

However, there are some additions you can make.

For each 8 cups of apple sauce, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice. Or add to taste. You may also add nutmeg, and ginger if you prefer.

Other apple recipes for you: 

• How to can apple pie filling
• How to can apples
• How to make apple pie jam
• How to make apple jelly with juice
• Instant Pot Apple Butter

 

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