Have you ever tried canning applesauce in a pressure cooker? Canning is a great idea when you have too many apples at home and don’t know what to do with them. What you can do is prepare applesauce, can it, and store it for later use.
In this article, we will walk you through the process of canning applesauce in a pressure cooker. It is easy and anyone can easily preserve applesauce at home with it.
The results will be delicious and so much better than anything you can buy in the store. We’ll also give you a few ideas of what to do with your bottled sauce. Let’s get started!
Canning Applesauce in your Pressure Cooker at Home
Home applesauce canning is usually done in two different ways, one of which requires a pressure cooker while the other one needs a large pot filled with lots of water (water bath method).
The pressure cooker method is the quickest, easiest, and safest. All it needs is a few clicks and your glass jars are sealed, sterilized, and ready to be stored for later use in many delicious recipes.
1. Ensure Your Jars Are Germ-Free
Gather up to six glass canning jars and their lids. It is important to use the correct jars as they are made of specially hardened glass that can withstand high temperatures and pressures inside the pressure cooker without cracking.
Now, wash the jars and lids with hot soapy water, rinse them and leave them upside down to dry. Alternatively, you can run them through a wash cycle in the dishwasher.
There is no need to sterilize them further as the pressure cooker will kill any remaining germs.
2. Preparing Applesauce
Next, gather your apples and a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice or a spoonful of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) added to it. You are going to put your peeled and cut apples into this as you work to prevent them from going brown.
It’s perfectly fine to mix and match apple varieties. A mix of sweet and tart varieties works particularly well. You can also mix apples and pears if you like. You may add sugar or sweetener to your taste as well as spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
However, we recommend keeping your canned applesauce as plain and simple as possible as you will then be able to adapt it to any recipe you like. Flavorings can always be added later.
Peel, core, and cut the apples. Drop the pieces into the bowl of water as you work to prevent oxidation. When you are done, drain the apples and put them into a pot. For every twenty or so apples, add half a cup of boiling water.
Put the lid on and simmer the apples on the stovetop over low heat. Cook the apples until they are very soft. Remove them from the heat and blend them with a stick blender to create a smooth sauce. Alternatively, mash them with a potato masher.
How Many Apples Do I Need?
As a rough guide, you will need approximately three pounds ( 1 ¼ kg) of apples to make a liter (quart) of applesauce. A bushel of apples (22kg/48lbs) will yield about 15 litres of applesauce.
As for the jars, they can be a variety of sizes but we recommend using the same size jars in the pressure cooker for a batch.
It’s a good idea to use smaller jars so that you can open just enough for your use without wasteful leftovers. Quart jars, pint jars, or smaller will all work.
3. Filling the Glass Jars
Allow the sauce to cool a little so it is easy to handle. Spoon or ladle it into the jars, leaving about two centimeters of headspace. Tap the jars to allow any air bubbles to rise to the top and escape.
Wipe the edges with paper towels then screw on the lids with their rings. Don’t overtighten them.
4. Prepping the Pressure Cooker
Put a trivet on the base of the pressure cooker. The jars mustn’t sit directly on the base or they may crack. Put the jars on the trivet, leaving space between each one.
The jars should not touch one another. Add water to the pressure cooker, filling it about three-quarters of the way up the jars.
5. Pressure Canning the Applesauce
If you are using pint-sized jars, process them for 8 minutes for 10 minutes at 35 kPa for a weighted gauge and 42kPa for a dial-type gauge.
In an Instant Pot, cook at high pressure for 8 min then let it naturally release for 10-15 min. Remove the lid carefully once the valve is down and leave the jars to cool.
Remove them from the pot and make sure that the lids have formed a tight vacuum seal. Dry them, and label them with the contents and canning date. Store them on a cool, dark pantry shelf.
How To Use Your Homemade Canned Applesauce
- Serve it cold with plain yogurt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack.
- Serve with roast pork or pulled pork wraps.
- Use it to replace eggs and oil in baked goods.
- Make applesauce oatmeal by spooning some into your cooked oats porridge and adding a spoonful of brown sugar or honey.
- Add it to smoothies.
To Conclude
Now that you know how quick and easy it is to make delicious applesauce in your pressure cooker, we bet you’ll never want to be without some on your kitchen shelves. Let us know how yours turns out!