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Ways with Applesauce

Take advantage of the fall apple harvest and make some applesauce. After you’ve had your fill of freshly made applesauce, it can be canned, frozen, or dried in the form of leathers.

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Updated:

July 8, 2024

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All forms of applesauce start with selecting sweet, juicy, crisp apples. Sweet apples such as Golden Delicious, Gala, Rome Beauty, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Crispin, and Braeburn will need little or no sugar compared to tart apples such as McIntosh, Cortland, York Imperial, or Jonathan. If you like tart applesauce, add 1 to 2 pounds of tart apples to every 3 pounds of sweeter fruit. Good applesauce is made by combining several varieties of apples.

Apples should be washed, peeled, and cored. Peeling the apples removes bacteria and molds on the skin, reducing the need to control these microorganisms in the preserving process.

Remember to prevent darkening by placing the peeled apples in an ascorbic acid solution (1 teaspoon [3,000 milligrams] ascorbic acid or six finely crushed 500 mg Vitamin C tablets to 1 gallon of cold water). The National Center for Home Food Preservation has more information about maintaining color and flavor in canned fruits.

To cook, drain and slice the apples into a large pot and add only enough water to prevent sticking or burning. One-half cup water may be enough, depending on the juiciness of the apple. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, heat quickly, and cook until tender. This may take from 5 to 20 minutes or longer, depending on the variety. Cook the apples long enough so that heat destroys enzymes that cause oxidation (browning) and removes air present in the fresh fruit. Excess air will cause the sauce to darken in storage. Undercooked sauce also has the potential for molds and other spoilage organisms to survive.

Canning Applesauce

Penn State Extension's Let's Preserve Apples provides detailed guidelines for canning applesauce. Some tips to keep in mind when canning applesauce:

To make a smooth sauce, put it through a food mill or sieve. Avoid using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor because they incorporate excess air that will increase discoloration and siphoning. To make a chunky sauce, omit the pressing step and stir cooked apples to desired consistency.
Sugar is an optional ingredient and is added only for flavor. Omit sugar entirely or add to taste. The use of artificial sweeteners is trickier. Aspartame products will lose sweetness during processing, and saccharin products may become bitter. Add these when you are ready to serve the sauce. Sucralose sweeteners may be used in canning.
Putting the cooked apples through a sieve, food processor, or blender incorporates additional air into the product. After making the apples into a puree, be sure to bring the mixture to a boil and maintain a gentle boil while filling the jars. The sauce should be boiling when placed in the jars to remove excess air and to reduce siphoning.
Remember to remove any air bubbles in the sauce using a plastic bubble freer.
Allow adequate headspace (½ inch) to accommodate expansion during processing. It is common for applesauce to siphon from the jars when they are removed from the canner. The thinner the applesauce, the less siphoning there seems to be.
Try to maintain a constant rolling, but gentle boil, while processing; large fluctuations during processing force the product out of the jar. Another technique that helps to reduce siphoning is, after the processing time is complete, set the canner off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars; this equalizes the temperature in the jar.
Remember to process the applesauce in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner. The open kettle (aka hot fill) method is no longer recommended for canning applesauce. Processing the sauce destroys molds and other microorganisms in the headspace and gives a stronger vacuum seal than open kettle canning. Do not use the open kettle method to can applesauce.

Some recipes from other sources include a tablespoon of lemon juice per quart of applesauce. This will not hurt the product's safety and will help preserve the color of the sauce. The addition of ground spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg adds natural color that may mask some of the oxidation.

Freezing Applesauce

Preparing sauce for freezing is similar to canning. Freezing temperatures control the growth of microorganisms; good quality sauce will not spoil when stored at 0°F or lower. This allows you to choose your favorite sauce recipe.

Freeze a smooth or chunky sauce as preferred. Apples may be pureed in a food mill, blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
The addition of lemon juice brightens the flavor. A small amount of apple cider boosts the apple flavor and sweetens the sauce. Apple juice concentrate can be added as a sweetener.
Honey or maple syrup can be used as sweeteners, but be aware that they can overpower the flavor of the apples.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose can be added before freezing. Generally, it is better to add saccharin sweeteners when serving.
Spices can be added for flavor. Be aware that some spices change flavor when frozen. Imitation vanilla gets stronger. Season lightly before freezing and add additional when serving if necessary.
Fruits may be combined when freezing applesauce. Adding one part cranberries, blueberries, peaches, or pears to two parts apples produces a mixed sauce product. Be aware that there will be a color change in the sauce.
Use freezer containers with a wide mouth for easy removal of the frozen product.
Thaw the applesauce in the refrigerator. It may be served while a few ice crystals remain.

Drying Applesauce

When applesauce is dried, a fruit leather is produced. These are also known as fruit roll-ups.

Leathers

Leathers are made from purees and take their name from the texture of the dried product. Applesauce is a puree ready to be made into a leather itself or as an extender for thin purees such as a berry puree.
Add two teaspoons of lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid to every 2 cups of applesauce to prevent darkening.
Sweeteners are usually unnecessary because the natural sweetness of the apple is concentrated during the drying process. If desired, add ¼ to ½ cup of corn syrup or honey for every 2 cups of sauce. Sugar can be used but will eventually crystallize. Sweetened leathers will be somewhat sticky.

Dehydration process

Pour prepared puree about ¼ inch thick onto plastic dehydrator trays or line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap (be careful to smooth out wrinkles; tape edges to prevent sliding). Do not use waxed paper or regular aluminum foil as the leather will stick. Nonstick foil works well.
Two cups of puree will make one large fruit roll for a 13-inch by 15-inch sheet. Several smaller ones can be made.
Depending on the fruit and its moisture content, leather size, and type of dryer used, it may take anywhere from 6 hours to several days to dry at 140°F.
Test for dryness by touching the center of the leather; no indentation should be evident, and no "wet" spots should show.
While warm, peel from the sheet and roll, cool, and rewrap in plastic wrap.
Leathers can be kept for up to one month at room temperature and one year if frozen.

Extra Flavorings

Extra flavorings and ingredients can be added for interest. Use spices and flavorings sparingly—try ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon for every 2 cups of puree. Remember, the flavor will concentrate as it dries.

Sprinkle shredded coconut, chopped dried fruits, or chopped nuts over the top of the puree before drying. Note: these extras will increase the drying time of the leather.