I got Sauced Last Night...

Yep, Apple Sauced!

Last Saturday evening my neighbor Mrs. B came across the driveway asking me if I could help her out.  She had a bucket full of Jonathan Apples that the wind and rain we'd had earlier that day had knocked off her trees and she already had '2 bins full and can't use no more'.  So in the interest of being a good neighbor - I took them!

Things here at the Stone House are not all fun and games painting and fixing these days... I've managed to fit in some other things - like canning.

Yes, canning!  I had done a bit of that years and years ago when we lived here in PA and my husband was a college student.  There are a couple stories from that era I'll have to tell y'all another time.

A couple weeks ago I found my canning pots (yes I seem to own 2 - although I think one was something I got in a box of stuff at an auction a couple years ago) and dug out some other supplies I still had.  Bought a new Ball Blue Book of Preserving, a variety of jars, a Food Mill, a thermometer and a few other little gadgets.  You know it's all about the gadgets... right?

Anyway last night I had 12 pounds of Apples to contend with... these are the second batch ready to be washed and cut up into quarters.  Into the pot they went with a bit of water to soften up.

Since I had loaned my food mill to my sister Darlin' for her canning adventures I was going to go and purchase another one... but then I saw a 'Sauce Master Food Strainer' for about the same amount of money... so I got it.  Didn't think to stop and take pictures of using it... boy does it work quick. 

 

In no time at all I had smooth sauce in one container and seeds and skins in the other... this is the waste from 12 pounds of apples - that's all that I threw away.

 

 

Here is the sauce cooking in the pot - the first batch was so thick I had to add back some of the liquid the apple quarters had cooked in - sure glad I saved some back.  Even then it didn't so much as boil as it 'plopped plopped' and splattered sauce about.

I was a little more generous heaping ladles full of apples and liquid into the Strainer with the second batch - gave me something to bring to a boil easier.

I added a bit of sugar to each batch and added cinnamon to the second batch.  What didn't fit into the canning jars went into some plastic freezer jars that we'll use up first - all total I have about 8 pints of each variety.

I have a much better appreciation for people who have a 'canning kitchen' - yep all this boiling water and cooking pots of stuff... sure does make it warm.

By midnight I was done and headed off to bed... here are the two batches this morning all cooled off and ready for labels of some sort.  I need to look for some computer labels... of course then I'd have to unpack my printer and set it up too... maybe I'll just buy a new permanent marker...

 

Hey - did you see what I'm using as my lid-ring holder - yep my former paper towel holder... which I don't use for paper towels because I use my faux paper towels... a re-purposed device - cool huh?

 

Soon I'll show you what started all this re-newed Domestic Divaness on my part...

It's a sweet story with a sad part in the middle... very sad indeed... It's so hard to talk about... (gulp) maybe next time.