Canning Apples Slices
The last day of canning is a bittersweet day. Canning takes a lot of time, but is so rewarding, I almost hate to see it end. However, the first day of Fall is just 5 days away, and there is not much left in the garden to put up.
I still have some tomatoes hanging on, but those will just be used for eating and one more margherita pizza!. I am having a tough time letting summer go this year, but I suppose I have no choice but to face the music.
I took the rest of the apples that were still hanging on, and canned some apple slices. I did this last year, and we have really enjoyed them. I wanted to have the freshness and nutrition of the apples in a low sugar dessert-type dish. These fit the bill exactly. They are like an apple pie filling without the pie crust. You can easily add a little cornstarch and water to a jar of this, cook it a bit to thicken it, and make it into a pie filling if you so desire.
It is great as a topping for waffles or pancakes as well as ice cream or frozen yogurt. I would try it with pork as well. Since we are watching our carbs and sugars, we usually just eat it out of the jar as a sort of dessert. This recipe is totally flexible. You can add as much sugar as you’d like, up to an equal amount of sugar and water, and you can use more or less cinnamon. If I’d had Apple Pie Spice, I probably would have used it. I know I can make my own, but didn’t think of it until it was too late. Story of my life.
I started with peeling, coring, and slicing my apples, using this great apparatus. Of course, you don’t have to use one of these, but if you have an apple tree and you plan on putting up apples…for the love of what’s right…get one of these babies!
While I was working on those, I had my other ingredients warming up in a large pan. Mix the sugars, cinnamon and water together and let them heat up slowly while you are peeling the apples. When I was close to being done with the apples, I turned the burner up to let the liquid come to a boil, then put the apples in.
RECIPE FOR CANNING APPLE SLICES
13 ½ pounds whole apples – Core, peel, slice or cube. I ended up with about 9 pounds after this was done
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 cups water
Put all together and bring to a boil, add apples, stirring occasionally until it all comes back to a simmer. Let it continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, still stirring occasionally. It will look like you don’t have enough liquid, but the apples will release a ton of liquid while they are cooking, so it will all work out evenly.
Then use a jar funnel and a measuring cup to stuff the jars full of apples and pour the liquid over to within an inch of the top of the jar. Get rid of the bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes – pints or half pints; 30 minutes for quarts. This made 9 pints and 8 half pints. This recipe could also be put into any jar or freezer bag and frozen until ready to use, then thawed in the refrigerator.
A no-guilt snack or dessert, as well as something people love to receive as a gift!
The last 8 little, ugly apples? They went into my refrigerator, where they will live for months to come. I will cut them up, add water, and simmer them with some cinnamon sticks and cloves in an old little pan to make my house smell amazing this fall and early winter.
And the scraps from peeling and coring the apples?? You guessed it….AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!
I tried to explain to the girls that the days of yummy garden goodness was nearing an end. Pretty sure they didn’t listen. Ah, motherhood!
