Applesauce...

I missed getting transparent apples from my uncle's tree when they were ready as we were in the midst of the whole dd/exchange/VIP thing so I went in search of apples at our favourite fruit stand instead. Their cold storage kept these soft summer apples in pretty good shape considering how long they have been off the trees. The trick is to do them the day you get them home as they bruise easily and deteriorate quickly.

The children and I set up a production line along our long counter:


First step, cutting out the bites from codling moths:


Next is the amazing apple peeling, slicing, coring thingy machine:


The next child cut these into bits and put them into a bowl:


Mom's job, taking these apple bits and adding them to the pot and keeping it stirred:


We kept at it until the pot was filled, adding as needed. Once the applesauce is cooked down sugar is added (4 cups for 12-13 quarts of sauce) and cinnamon too ( 4 Tbsp. for the same):


The sauce is pushed through a sieve to remove any stray bits of peel, core and seeds before being canned for 20 minutes:


The results are a warm brown tasty treat. One box gave us 12 quarts and there are about 30 lbs. in the standard apple box. (Two boxes netted us a total of 23 quarts.)


And I never want to see applesauce again. It took forever to cook down and I've washed the floor in the kitchen 3 times today... it is still sticky. I'm pooped.