Our Boys, Mark, Lawson & Julian
Sara Peeling Apples, looks like fun huh?

Shannon Peeling Apples, we all did this for about 6 hours!

My friends Sara, Shannon and Laura came over this morning with their kids to make applesauce, apple juice, and apple butter. We were hoping to get through my 100 lbs, Laura's 40 lbs and Shannon's 30 lbs. We ended up only getting through about 80-90 lbs total. This made 34 pints of applesauce, 6 pints of apple butter, and 5 quarts of apple juice. Needless to say, it was a long day and our kids ended up a little more tired then we were about half way through the morning (top middle).

There is more to do, but I wanted to post the recipe. It was really good and we didn't use any sugar, only aobut 1 Cup of honey total to sweeten the applesauce. That is 1 Cup in 34 pints of applesauce... it was pretty dang good. Let me know if you have questions. This recipe came from the Ball canning website. The link is posted as well.

http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/recipe/183.php?recipe_id=126

Applesauce

Makes about 8 (16 oz) pints

You will need: 12 lbs apples, peeled, cored, quartered, treated to prevent browning* and drained (about 36 medium)
Water
3 cups granulated sugar, optional
4 Tbsp lemon juice
8 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2.) COMBINE apples with just enough water to prevent sticking in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 20 minutes, until apples are tender (time will depend upon the variety of apple and their maturity). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

3.) TRANSFER apples, working in batches, to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée until smooth (we used a hand blender).
4.) RETURN apple purée to saucepan. Add sugar, if using, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Maintain a gentle boil over low heat while filing jars.

5.) LADLE hot applesauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
6.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. *To treat apple slices to prevent browning, apply Ball® Fruit-Fresh® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer's instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.