canning apples | blue basket filled with red and yellow apples sitting on the grass

Canning Apples The Healthy Way

Canning Apples 

Canning apples is a great way to be ready and make short work of cooking.  It is so helpful when making desserts and even to add to a roasting pan with a chicken for a lovely dinner. We love to just eat them straight from the jar! We think you won’t be sorry to try this recipe.

Canning Apples for Food Storage

It is so wonderful to be able to pull out a jar of these apples that you have canned during apple season and dice them up for your hot cereal, in your yogurt with a big of granola and so much more. We love to use some cranberries in some of them and spice them from cinnamon and use them in baked chicken, cornish game hens, etc.

Canning Apples

While canning apples you want to make sure that they do not oxidize (turn brown) while you are peeling and slicing and packing the apples in jars. A great way to achieve this is to put the apple pieces in lemon water or adding citric acid or vitamin C to the water you store them in while you work. These are antioxidants and will keep them from browning while you are working on them.

Canning apples pinterest pin 2 | a table with a white cloth and baskets of apples and sunflowers

 

What Apples Are Good For Canning?

When selecting the right apple for canning you want to choose a crisp, firm apple. Mealy apples will not work for canning apples.  You want apples like Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Mclntosh, Braeburn, Crispin, York Imperial, etc. 

Do You Have To Peel Apples For Canning?

You should always peel your apples before canning them. This will make your finished product ready for use or ready to eat. 

How Long To Pressure Can Apples?

You do not have to use a pressure canner for apples but you can steam can or water bath can them with ease. 

How Long Do Home Canned Apples Last?

When you can apples they will last over a year when properly stored in a cool, dark place.

How Do You Wash Apples For Canning?

We like to put them in a large colander and spray with GSE (grapefruit seed extract) and water. Then rinse the apples well and let drain well.

How Do You Preserve Apples In Mason Jars?

There are several ways to preserve apples in mason jars.  Canning apples is a great way to stretch out the harvest and enjoy your apples all year.  You can can apples, in juice, heavy syrup or light syrup, make apple pie filling, applesauce, apple butter, etc. 

Can I Use Apple Juice To Can Apples?

Yes, you can use apple juice for canning apples. We usually use white grape juice but you can use apple juice too. They come out beautifully.

Steps to Canning Apples

What you will need:

 

The recipe

 

Canning Apples

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs of apples per quart or 1 1/2 kg (about 6 large apples) Your canner will hold 7 quarts so about 42 large apples for 7 quarts. 
Citric Acid  or Vitamin C for the water you place the peeled apples in
 

Instructions:

Wash quart jars (the canner will hold up to 7 at a time so do no more than 7 at a time. In a pan heat the juice to a simmer.  Place water in your water bath canner and put the canning jar rack inside of it. The water needs to come above your filled jars by 1″.  Heat the water to a boil.  In a small pan put your flat jar lids and cover with water and heat (not boil) to soften the seal. This is no longer mandatory but I still like to do it. 

Wash, peel, and slice apples into a large pan filled with water and 1 tsp per cup of water of citric acid or 3000 mg. per cup of water of vitamin C. This will keep your apples from turning brown while you are working.
Place the apples in the hot jars up to 1/2 inch headspace
Ladle warm peaches & juice into warm jars leaving 1/2″ headspace.
Using the handle of a long wooden spoon slide the handle down the inside of the jar and press the apples to the center of the jar so all the air bubbles can escape.
Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth.
Place the lid on top and screw down the ring.
Place in a boiling water canner, processes pints 20 minutes and quarts (pictured above) for 25 minutes
After the timer goes off use your jar grabber tongs to remove the hot jars from the boiling water.
Place hot jars on a folded towel so that you don’t damage your counter. 
Leave a space between the jars
Leave jars to cool for 24 hours.
Carefully clean and dry the jars to make sure there is no sticky residue on them.
When they are dry label the jars with the contents and the date so you know what they are and when they were processed.
These will be good for over a year if stored properly in a cool dry place.
 
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If you are steam canning:

REFER TO YOUR STEAM CANNER FOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR CANNER.

  • Make sure the bottom of your steam canner has at least 3 quarts of water in it. 
  • Pack the jars with apples leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Then fill the jars with juice as above leaving 1/2 inch headspace up at the top of the jar.
  • Wipe down the rims of the jar with a clean lint-free cloth or paper towel and place the 2 piece lids on your jars and tighten them to just finger tight. Don’t over-tighten because the air needs to get out.
  • Place jars into your steam canner.
  • Place the lid on top of the steam canner. 
  • When you see steam coming out of your canner then start timing for 25 minutes for quarts.
  • When the timer goes off let the canner rest for 10 minutes. 
  • Remove hot jars with the bottle lifter / Jar tongs onto a flat surface like the countertop with several layers of folded towels to protect the surface. 
  • Leave a space between each jar.  Let cool for 24 hours without disturbing
  • Label jars with date and what it is and store them in a cool, dark place. 
  • These apples will last over a year if stored properly

So here we go! Ready To Can? Let’s start canning!

Canning And Preserving Videos:

 

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