Apple Picking Season is here! Who doesn't enjoy wandering through an orchard in the crisp fall air plucking fresh apples to take home? Our family loves visiting the local apple orchards and returning with baskets full of delicious fruit, and I love making easy homemade applesauce!
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Find an Orchard with U-Pick Areas
We have plenty of orchards to visit to here in the Upstate of South Carolina and nearby Western North Carolina.
*Update: thankfully the following orchards are open to the public following Hurricane Helene. Please support them!
Our favorites include:
Skytop Orchard in Flat Rock, NC
Skytop has the BEST apple cider doughnuts and plenty of apple varieties to pick. This family owned orchard is also very family oriented with farm animals, play areas, tractor rides and more.
Jeter Mountain Farm in Hendersonville, NC
Jeter Mountain Farm is a well appointed orchard providing visitors with a coffee shop, bakery, market and delicious barbecue.
Chattooga Belle Farm in Long Creek, SC
Chattooga Belle Farm is a gem of an orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They offer much more than apples such as exotic fruits, berries, wines, and a distillery.
*Ginger Tip: You don't have to wait until October to go apple picking. Many of the popular varieties like Honey Crisps are ready in August and September!
Tips for picking apples:
Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes.
Go early in the season and early in the day to beat the crowds.
Bring a cooler with water and snacks for the trip there and then use it to store apples and other goodies on the way home. Apple cider doughnuts, anyone?
Be mindful of the orchard's picking instructions. Stick to the U-Pick areas and try not to toss fruit on the ground.
Be kind to the pollinators. Bees will be present in the orchard so be careful and respectful.
Pick only ripe apples. They should detach easily from the tree with a simple twist and tug.
Do not climb trees or pull branches down to reach an apple. Be safe!
Most orchards provide baskets for collecting and apple picking tools for the out of reach fruit. Or you can do like my husband (former collegiate lacrosse player) and use your old lacrosse stick!
Time to Pick your Apples for Homemade Applesauce!
You will find that apple picking usually means coming home with bags full of different types of apples. This is perfect for making homemade applesauce because mixing tart crisp apples with sweet softer ones makes a delicious end product with just the right amount of bits and juiciness.
If you are using your apples for pies or crisps, stick to the crisp tart apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Honey Crisp.
If you are making jellies or apple butter, try tender apples like Fuji and Golden Delicious.
We tend to be all over the place when picking apples and have no idea what they are when we get home. Apple sauce works well with all the mixed up apples!
Prepare to Make Homemade Applesauce!
Begin with a thorough washing and drying of all apples. Even though they were fresh picked, it does not mean that they were not sprayed with pesticides or fungicides at some point.
*Ginger Tip: For every 2 pounds of apples, you will make about 1 quart of applesauce. (6-7 medium sized apples)
Gather your ingredients and materials for canning if you want to preserve your applesauce.
*Ginger Tip: I am adding links to all of my favorite canning tools at the end of this post!
In my kitchen, I use an apple peeler/slicer/corer to prepare my apples. I also keep a sharp knife and cutting board on the side for additional chopping and for removing bruises.
Remember, this post is about easy homemade applesauce. The peeler/slicer/corer does the job quickly and easily! I highly recommend it!
Wash and sterilize all of your jars, bands and lids. Use brand new lids only.
If you are canning, start heating up the water bath on the stove now because it takes a long time to boil!
Make your Applesauce!
In a large pot, add your apple slices. I used about 4 pounds of apples for this recipe.
Add 2-3 cups of water. Add more if needed to keep the applesauce consistency the way you prefer.
These are optional, but I like to add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
*Ginger Tip: Try using apple pie spice instead of cinnamon. Yum!
Simmer over medium-low heat until apples are tender and can be mashed easily.
Mash and/or puree to your desired consistency. I like mine with a little chunkiness in it. If you need to add some more water, now is a good time. Applesauce that is super chunky with little liquid is more likely to have lots of unwanted bubbles and airspace in the jars and shouldn't be canned. Save those for the refrigerator and use within 1-2 weeks.
Add your applesauce to clean sterilized jars with a clean ladle and funnel. Leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the jar.
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean rag or paper towel. Any sauce left on the rim will prevent a safe seal. So wipe the rim!
Use a small rubber spatula and wipe down the inside of jars to remove any air bubbles.
Add the lids and bands finger tight. (At this point, you can save your applesauce in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Otherwise, proceed with the canning process).
When your water bath is boiling at the right level, add the jars with gripping tongs and replace the pot lid. My pot's lid has a special altitude gauge to let me know when the water is ready. I also use a wire rack with jar fittings for stability inside the pot.
Process (boil in the pot) for 20 minutes.
Remove jars carefully with tongs and place on clean towel or cutting board to cool.
Check to make sure the metal lids are sucked down tight for a good seal. If it pops to the touch, add to the refrigerated jars. Do not store in the pantry. Otherwise, keep your homemade applesauce in the pantry for up to a year. Enjoy!
Making homemade applesauce may seem complicated, but it really is quite easy! I hope you have the opportunity to go apple picking and make some yummy homemade applesauce! Happy Fall Y'all!
My Favorite Tools for Canning
Victorio Canning Pot from Harvest Essentials. This is the pot that I have had for years. I couldn't find it on Amazon, but this canning pot is similar if you prefer to shop through them. Again, I like the temperature gauge feature built into the lid.
Reversible Canning Rack for holding jars securely in the water bath. Most canning pots come with a standard rack for use, but I like this one with the 'flower petal' design that allows you to keep small pint size jars stable. Flip it over and it holds quart size jars. Stack two of these racks together and you can process multiple small jars at once which is perfect for jams and jellies.
Canning Scoop for ladling food into jars. This is more than a typical ladle. The pointed shape allows you to scoop along the inside of a pot and pour accurately into the jars.
Canning Funnel for filling both wide mouth and regular mouth jars. I love this funnel because it sits securely on the jar AND it has headspace measurements on the bottom to see exactly where to stop filling your jars.
Magnetic Lid Lifter for handling hot metal lids in boiling water. I spent years using tongs to try and grab the bands and lids out of the hot water only to watch them slip and slide back into the scalding hot water and under the rack. This handy tool makes it so much easier and safer!
Ball Mason Jars for storing your food. I use the pint size jars with regular size mouth for my applesauce because we are empty nesters now and one 16 ounce jar is perfect for two. For larger batches, use quart size jars.
Jar Lifter for safely adding and removing jars from hot water bath. This is a must have for canning. Those jars are hot!
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is an essential resource for canning. I like that it opens flat and has plenty of recipes with great instructions.
Put all of these together and you have a wonderful gift basket for school auctions, Christmas, or birthdays!
For more fall recipes, you might be interested in my post 10 Soup Recipes for Fall.
Thank you for the tips!