how much applesauce do you normally can?

[Cullens_Girl]

Just wondering how much applesauce everyone cans each year?

I just put up a bushel of apples, and have a great system going. The bushel yielded about 15 quarts. I know that won't get us until next apple season... Anyone else go nuts canning the sauce? I'm ready to go out and buy another bushel... I get the 2nds quality and I can get a bushel for about $15.

[Llyra]

I put applesauce up in pints, since a pint is about what we eat in one sitting when we eat it. So far this year, I've put up 16 pints, and I'm planning on doing two more batches, for a total of 26 to 28 pints. We would probably eat way more than that, but I don't have the $$$ to invest in new jars this year, and I'm almost out of empty jars. And I still want to make apple butter, too, and cranberry-apple jam when the cranberries come in.

If I had the $$$ to buy jars, I think an ideal amount for us would be about 50 pints. But that's a LOT.

[ctrygirlatheart]

I just put up 8 pts but that will not be near enough so need to make a run out to one of the local orchards to pick up some more apples in a couple of weeks. I was thinking that maybe 24 quarts would be enough for us as I just need enough to get me through to strawberries in April and we are a small family. Don't know if I can do that much though, so much to can and so little time. Working in ginger pear marmalade this morning.

[JamieCatheryn]

I got a bushel, just did 11 quarts applesauce and 6 of sliced apples in light syrup (for pie). I'm about to make a little apple butter too with what's left if I can get half pint jars and my boys don't eat them all fresh. I estimate this may last us 3 months (2 adults, 2 kids).

[ctrygirlatheart]

Feel free to share your system Cullens Girl!

[KristyDi]

I usually do 20-25 pints. We could use more but by that time I'm usually out of jars and energy.

[lmonter]

Heh, um, I'm in a different league methinks. My original goal for the year had been 300 quarts of applesauce and 100 quarts of apple cider. I'll be happy if I can get 150qts of sauce going this year and 4-5 dozen quarts of cider. I only got... 60-70qts of pears, 130-150qts of peaches this year when I'd been hoping/planning for more.

I don't buy canned fruit from the store. I just don't (well, last year I had to buy two cases of pears to stretch until this harvest season). So, I need(ed) enough to last the year until next canning season. We go through at least 1-2 quarts of canned fruit a day, easy - more if hubby and I decide to have some fruit. And my kids are still young (7yo, 4yo, 2yo, 7mo). I'm hoping as they get older they'll be more of a help than a hindrance, which will be important when I have to can two to three times as much to last the year.

I will say though that I'm on a mission in that regard I suppose, plus I have my lovely Squeezo which I adore. Awesome for seedless raspberry jam, tomato sauce (mmm, homemade tomato soup!), applesauce, etc. I just quarter, steam the apples in my giant 10-qt pot, and let the kids crank/squish with the Squeezo. It's quite the ordeal, but oh so yummy.

Oh, and I live in a chilly zone 5 - so not a lot of growing from Oct-May.

[Cullens_Girl]

well I ended up with 2 more bushels over the weekend that I hope to can this week... and I might go back for another.

My system:
Chop the apples leaving everything in place with 3 cinnamon sticks for my big stock pot.

Run through the Kitchen Aid food mill. (best gadget EVER) Then I take the goop that comes off and run it through again to get another couple of cups of sauce out of it.

While I'm running the sauce through the mill, I'm sterilizing my jars and then put them in the plate warmer of my dishwasher.

After I mill the sauce I put it back into pots to sweeten to taste and keep warm while I can. Not all batches get sweetened. We generally eat unsweetened, but I always have sweetened on hand for when we have guests and also last minute gifts.

Then I go ahead and can using my normal canning method. I think by the time I'm done canning the apples this year I'll have done probably about 60 quarts. I know that won't be enough for the year.

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by lmonter

Heh, um, I'm in a different league methinks. My original goal for the year had been 300 quarts of applesauce and 100 quarts of apple cider. I'll be happy if I can get 150qts of sauce going this year and 4-5 dozen quarts of cider. I only got... 60-70qts of pears, 130-150qts of peaches this year when I'd been hoping/planning for more.

I don't buy canned fruit from the store. I just don't (well, last year I had to buy two cases of pears to stretch until this harvest season). So, I need(ed) enough to last the year until next canning season. We go through at least 1-2 quarts of canned fruit a day, easy - more if hubby and I decide to have some fruit. And my kids are still young (7yo, 4yo, 2yo, 7mo). I'm hoping as they get older they'll be more of a help than a hindrance, which will be important when I have to can two to three times as much to last the year.

I will say though that I'm on a mission in that regard I suppose, plus I have my lovely Squeezo which I adore. Awesome for seedless raspberry jam, tomato sauce (mmm, homemade tomato soup!), applesauce, etc. I just quarter, steam the apples in my giant 10-qt pot, and let the kids crank/squish with the Squeezo. It's quite the ordeal, but oh so yummy.

Oh, and I live in a chilly zone 5 - so not a lot of growing from Oct-May.

I have a vintage Victorio strainer that we nicknamed the tomato stomper. Is this the same thing? I use the same method, but have only canned about 16 pint so far (made from an early apple tree in the parking lot of an insurance office in my neighborhood).

We usually don't eat much applesauce this time of year as we have lot of fresh apples available.