RainbowSprinkles Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 and can it, can I store it in the pantry? Or should I freeze it? How long will it last either way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 If you've canned it properly, it should last months, maybe years, although I try to use all home-canned items within a year or so. I've never frozen applesauce, so I don't know what to say about that! Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 By "can" it do you mean you put the applesauce in glass jars with rings/lids and boiled the jars in a pot in which they were covered with water for 15-20 minutes or so? Are the jars sealed? If so, you don't need to do anything else but store them on a shelf somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 If it's in jars please don't freeze it! And if you've canned it using the water bath method (at a hard boil completely covered with water for 20 minutes maintaining the boil), did you add a source of acidity (lemon juice, citric acid)? Or else it'd have to be pressure canned. If you didn't I'd pop the seals, repackage, and freeze it. If they're properly canned, keep in a cool dark place and it'll be good for years! Nothing better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Our family eats it so fast that I just cook it in the sauce pan, ladle it into the jars and put it in the fridge. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ok so after I put it into glass jars, I take the jars and put them in a pot and boil them for 20 minutes? Lemon juice, need to get that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Mine's in the pantry. I'll let you know if we all drop dead from it. Uh - I don't think I put lemon juice in mine...:ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ladies, sincerely, for your safety, please get this book, or the Ball Blue Book if you're going to can. Botulism is a killer... http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329355821&sr=8-1 I take lots of chances (lol chicken on the counter, etc.) but not with canning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSinNH Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ladies, sincerely, for your safety, please get this book, or the Ball Blue Book if you're going to can. Botulism is a killer... http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329355821&sr=8-1 I take lots of chances (lol chicken on the counter, etc.) but not with canning. :iagree: Great book to have for beginning canning! Everything you need to know to can safely and properly is in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ok so after I put it into glass jars, I take the jars and put them in a pot and boil them for 20 minutes? Lemon juice, need to get that! No, don't! Karen is right, you must learn how to can foods. There's an awful lot to know, much more than what's been said in this thread. The Ball Blue Book is wonderful. It's a really good place to start. You can also ask around, try to find a friend who is an experienced canner. Watching someone do it is really helpful. If you only cooked it and then put it in jars with lids without properly processing, then keep it in the refrigerator and use within a week. Don't put it in the pantry or freezer. If you want to freeze your applesauce, the Ball Blue Book has a section on freezing, as well. There's rules for that, too, although your mistakes are less likely to be fatal than if you can without knowing what you're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) Ladies, sincerely, for your safety, please get this book, or the Ball Blue Book if you're going to can. Botulism is a killer... http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329355821&sr=8-1 I take lots of chances (lol chicken on the counter, etc.) but not with canning. I don't use lemon juice or anything; just apples. This is the way I've made it for 15 or so years. You made me curious though so I just got out my Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning, Freezing & Dehydration book. It doesn't call for anything like what you're saying in the applesauce recipe. The list of ingredients is apples, sugar (optional) and water. I read through the text to see if it's listed there and it's not. I do agree, though, that there's more to it than throwing it in some glass jars with a lid and boiling them in water for awhile. Reading about how to properly can is important. Edited February 16, 2012 by milovaný Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Milovany, you must have an old book; by the modern standards, it needs lemon juice or a source of acid unless it's being pressure canned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Ladies, sincerely, for your safety, please get this book, or the Ball Blue Book if you're going to can. Botulism is a killer... http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329355821&sr=8-1 I take lots of chances (lol chicken on the counter, etc.) but not with canning. Oh, that's just great. Apparently older versions of BBB don't mention adding lemon juice (neither does the USDA website). We ate one jar without dying. Well, I'm off to the pantry to throw out all that beautiful sauce. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) Oh, that's just great. Apparently older versions of BBB don't mention adding lemon juice (neither does the USDA website). We ate one jar without dying. Well, I'm off to the pantry to throw out all that beautiful sauce. :crying: Honestly I wouldn't. I've never used it and we can 70 or so quarts each fall. I've never had a jar go bad, ever. I know this isn't just my experience. I just Googled and even at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website, lemon juice or other was not required. When I did see it in a recipe, it seemed to be so that the fruit wouldn't brown. That doesn't matter to me, so I don't use it. If I put lemon juice in it, I'd also have to/want to add sugar, which subtracts from the nutritional value and I wouldn't make it anymore. That would be worse than having to check the jars when I open them to see if they've gone bad or not. Edited February 16, 2012 by milovaný Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I know, it's heartbreaking. Sadly, though...when it does go bad, things can go VERY bad. Botulism isn't just a bellyache. I'm sincerely, really sorry guys, I can't encourage that. I'm no pro but I'm acquainted with enough of them who have said they would never take a chance on botulism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) I know, it's heartbreaking. Sadly, though...when it does go bad, things can go VERY bad. Botulism isn't just a bellyache. I'm sincerely, really sorry guys, I can't encourage that. I'm no pro but I'm acquainted with enough of them who have said they would never take a chance on botulism. Can you boil or in some other way sterilize the sauce before using to get rid of any potential danger? Edited February 16, 2012 by Susan in TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Fruit generally does not need an acid if processed correctly...even in hot water canning. Please don't throw it away yet. You can keep it in the fridge for a few weeks or the freezer for 6-9 months if you don't want to can. I've even frozen jars if I leave lots of headspace. Here's some discussion on the issue: http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/archive/index.php/t-22994.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg0917050029543.html http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/applesauce.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in IN Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Oh, that's just great. Apparently older versions of BBB don't mention adding lemon juice (neither does the USDA website). We ate one jar without dying. Well, I'm off to the pantry to throw out all that beautiful sauce. :crying: Oh no! PLease don't throw away your applesauce so quickly. I've canned applesauce for 15 years or so (60-100 quarts a year), and I've never used lemon juice. Apples, water, and some sugar. I've never heard anything about adding acidity to fruit in order to can, just that vegetables/meat need to be canned in the pressure cooker. Please do more research before ditching your applesauce - I hate to see all of that (plus all of your work) wasted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Milovany, you must have an old book; by the modern standards, it needs lemon juice or a source of acid unless it's being pressure canned... I have the 2009 version (the 100th anniversary edition), which I believe is the newest version and no it does NOT require lemon juice for applesauce. Tomatoes used to be canned without lemon juice and now require it. I wonder if you've confused the two. Apples are pretty high in acid on their own so I can't imagine why they need more. Oh, that's just great. Apparently older versions of BBB don't mention adding lemon juice (neither does the USDA website). We ate one jar without dying. Well, I'm off to the pantry to throw out all that beautiful sauce. :crying: Neither do the newer ones, if the applesauce was canned following correct procedures (time for altitude) there is no need to throw it out. This is a direct copy for the National Center for Home Preservation. It is the most current source of canning information. There is no mention of lemon juice! Procedure: Wash, peel, and core apples. If desired, slice apples into water containing ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Placed drained slices in an 8- to 10-quart pot. Add ½ cup water. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning, heat quickly until tender (5 to 20 minutes, depending on maturity and variety). Press through a sieve or food mill, or skip the pressing step if you prefer chunk-style sauce. Sauce may be packed without sugar. If desired, add 1/8 cup sugar per quart of sauce. Taste and add more, if preferred. Reheat sauce to boiling. Fill jars with hot sauce, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/applesauce.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I don't use lemon juice or anything; just apples. This is the way I've made it for 15 or so years. You made me curious though so I just got out my Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning, Freezing & Dehydration book. It doesn't call for anything like what you're saying in the applesauce recipe. The list of ingredients is apples, sugar (optional) and water. I read through the text to see if it's listed there and it's not. I do agree, though, that there's more to it than throwing it in some glass jars with a lid and boiling them in water for awhile. Reading about how to properly can is important. This. :) You can freeze the applesauce in plastic containers or in glass jars made for the freezer. Just make sure to leave plenty of head room expand so that the jar doesn't explode when the sauce expands. I put my freezer jam and pumpkin into glass freezer jars with plastic screw-top lids and have only had one cracked jar in....ten? fifteen? years. (I tossed it.) :) I love the Ball book and use it every year. Another great place to learn about canning and preservation is Pick Your Own: http://www.pickyourown.org Scroll down through the picking information to get to the Easy Preserving Directions, including If you are new to home canning... The site has great step-by-step directions with pictures. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 My book, which I linked above, specifically states the following: "Adding sugar to applesauce is optional. If the sugar is omitted in this recipe, the yield will be slightly reduced. However: lemon juice is not an optional addition. Lemon juice is added to help preserve the apples' natural color and to assure the acidity of the finished product, since different varieties and harvesting conditions can produce apples of lower acidity." And my version is the 2006 version. But whatever, I guess there are differing opinions. I'm sticking with Ball, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 My book, which I linked above, specifically states the following: "Adding sugar to applesauce is optional. If the sugar is omitted in this recipe, the yield will be slightly reduced. However: lemon juice is not an optional addition. Lemon juice is added to help preserve the apples' natural color and to assure the acidity of the finished product, since different varieties and harvesting conditions can produce apples of lower acidity." And my version is the 2006 version. But whatever, I guess there are differing opinions. I'm sticking with Ball, though. That's interesting since like I said the Ball book I have is the 2009 version and it doesn't mention lemon juice. I wonder if they went back and realized it wasn't necessary since the newest version no loner includes this. Obviously adding it isn't going to hurt if you feel like you need that extra precaution but I just wanted everyone to have the most current information which doesn't include lemon juice. Several posters seemed very scared about using their product that was properly processed because of your posts and I wanted to make sure that the current information was also included in this thread so people would realize their applesauce was safe to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Huh...okay, well...looks like the camps are divided; I even see online there are differing opinions on the matter. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.