How to Can Homemade Applesauce
Preserve your own homemade applesauce with only a big pot, canning jars and lids and a few simple tools. Enjoy for up to a year!
Equipment
- Water Bath Canner
- Pint- or Quart-Sized Canning Jars
- Jar Lifter
- Wide-Mouth Funnel
- Headspace Tool
Ingredients
- Homemade Applesauce
- 1 teaspoon bottled lemon juice per Quart Jar
- ½ teaspoon bottled lemon juice per Pint Jar
Instructions
- Cook Homemade Applesauce.
- Sterilize jars by boiling for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.
- Bring applesauce to a low boil.
- Fill jars one at a time, leaving ½" headspace. Add lemon juice: 1 teaspoon to each Quart Jar or ½ teaspoon to each Pint Jar.
- Process Pint Jars for 15 minutes. Process Quart Jars for 20 minutes. Adjust for altitude if necessary.
- Turn off heat and remove lid. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Remove jars from water bath canner. Leave undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Check seals after 24 hours. Button should not flex when pressed.
Notes
- Jars need to be sterilized before canning. Lids do not. Wash lids in warm, soapy water to prepare.
- Always used bottled lemon juice (not freshly-squeezed) when canning. It has a standardized pH that is needed to keep home-canned foods safe.