Canned Apple Slices
Just when I thought I was done, they pulled me back in. Who is they? The evil people that run the fruit CSA that I bought in to in the spring. They had to know that by November, surely I’d be sick of canning and surely I shouldn’t purchase TWO shares from them, right?
They led me astray and cashed my check without a word.
To quote Stephanie Tanner, “how rude”.
I’ve reached the tail end of canning, and I’m so excited that it’s almost ever. For reals yo. I know I complain about canning a lot on here (you all must be sick of it, but hey, you seem to keep coming back to read, so who is the fool now? Suckah.), but I had a good motivator/reminder last week about why I put myself through it. My heart goes out to anyone impacted by Super Storm Sandy, and her devastating results. The loss of life and property makes my heart ache for the east coast.
However, seeing that people are living without electricity and throwing out tons of food that is spoiling makes me strap on the ole canning shoes and get to work. Should something happen to our energy supply, my family will be set for a bit, and hopefully be able to help out our neighbors.
Unless there is an earthquake of course. Glass jars and all. Then, we’re screwed.
As I looked at the 40 pounds of Fujis in front of me, I just couldn’t take one more night of canning applesauce. It’s messy, it’s time consuming, and I hate cleaning the apple bits out of the food mill screen. I wanted something easier, and boy oh boy I found it in the canned apple slices recipe from National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP).
Just a heads up that apparently I either smoked some meth or need my eyes checked because these photos are TERRIBLE. Late night canning doesn’t lend itself to lovely photos apparently.
1) Peel and core your apples. I use this do-hickey and it makes pretty quick work of it. Put your apple on it like this:
Then turn the crank and it will peel the apple.
And leave the core.
And give you a nicely peeled apple.
2) Cut the apple in half, and you’ll get perfectly sliced apples.
3) Put the slices in water with lemon juice or citric acid.
4) Once you have a bunch of slices soaking, combine water and sugar (optional) and bring to a low boil. Because the NCHFP says you can use plain water, I felt safe canning these in only the lightest syrup. I did 6 quarts of water to 1 cup of sugar. I picked a syrup simply for the color preservation in the jars.
5) Cook the apple slices in batches in the hot water (syrup), and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
6) Transfer the cooked apples to a crockpot to keep them warm. From there, put them in your hot and sterile canning jars. I found that tongs worked the best for this.
7) Cover the apples with some of the hot water or syrup, allowing for 1/2 inch of headspace.
8) Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean rag.
9) Put a sterilized and hot lid on the jar, and secure with a ring.
10) Process in boiling water for 20 minutes.
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| You gotta put the lid on. After taking a photo, naturally! |
11) Remove after processing and allow to cool completely untouched for at least 12 hours. Label, and store in a cool and dark place. Well, after you pose them for a pretty picture of course!
One of these jars didn’t seal, and I noticed one had a fruit fly in it the next morning (gross). So, we opened up the one with the fruit fly (oh don’t you judge me!) for breakfast. They were delicious sprinkled with cinnamon! And that fruit fly? Exquisite.
My plans for these? Apple pies, apple muffins, pancakes and waffles topped with apple slices – oh my! The first true test run for these bad boys will come on Saturday. Troy just invited a coworker over to dinner after I had already done my grocery shopping and meal planning. Dessert will be apple pie since I have everything already.
If you’re familiar with etiquette, could someone please fill me in on how you politely divvy up a fruit fly? I don’t want to short our guests, but I don’t want to miss out on that awesome deliciousness!
Too far?
Perhaps?
Forgive me, it’s the meth talking.
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I love reading your canning posts. You have inspired me to start canning. Your canning posts are so easy to follow. Thank You!
Kim, thanks so much for that. I’m glad I can help entice you in to the hell that is canning. ;-D
Thanks for this post – I see a lot of canned apples in my future with the wee one at home. And, I would have done the same thing with the fruit fly jar 🙂
I love your post. They always make me smile. Fruit fly in that simple syrup I bet was Yummy!
Hands down the best fruit fly I’ve ever had!
I love reading this blog. I’m not a mum, and I have zero time for the fabulous canning and creating that you showcase. (Just started back at Uni as an older student) But it always reminds me I can do it again in summer, and when i graduate. Thanks for the motivation to get to summer! (and for usually making me hungry)
Thanks Cara! Best of luck to you in school.
Look at you and your “ol thing” (the table). It still looks fantastic. Oh, the apples do too! Makes me hungry for some apple crisp and vanilla ice cream… Sorry, can’t help you with divving up the fruit fly. I always eat for 1, so I don’t have to divvy my meals a lot… maybe play rock-paper-scissors, and last one standing gets it?
Well…growing up, the fun rule when we had a big pot of chili or spaghetti with 1 bay leaf, whoever got the leaf in their bowl (by chance) got a kiss!
So I say that should work with the fruit fly. 🙂
Ours is similar, but the winner “gets to do the dishes,” though we usually don’t hold them to it. 🙂
I’ve never heard of these traditions, but I LOVE them!
Ours was whoever got the bay leaf had to do the dishes lol
That is awesome. I hope I get canning items for Christmas or at least this Summer so I can join in the hell of canning.
So glad you and your family didn’t die after you ate the fly.
I hope you get them too. Everyone deserves to be miserable by their own choice. LOL
i love you description of the canning hell…here in mississippi, it does get hot as hell while canning that is for sure…and God help you if you visit the kitchen on a dark night-your’re liable to break a toe on one of those big canners stowed on the kitchen floor. i peel and slice apples and pears using the thinga majig you have photoed here..and i use it even when preparing for applesauce….those sliced apples are wonderfully convenient…we go to a lot of trouble for convenience but lordy it sure is worth it. i cooked up the years worth of applesauce today and while doing that i got to thinking about roasting a huge pork roast to serve up with a helping of that applesauce. applesauce or sliced apples are great to serve up with the pork chops too.
I’ve thought about using the thinga mig for pears, but haven’t tried it. Does it core them too without making them in to mush?
Too bad the fruit fly was already cooked….or you could have waited a couple hours and he’d have had some friends to throw in there!!
But hey…PROTEIN!
Good grief, lady! You make me laugh!
I love your blog! I haven’t had time to read ALL the posts yet…but have you tried crock-pot applebutter…seriously! Easiest thing ever! Wash the apples or pears work also for this (but then it’s pear butter!). DO NOT PEEL! Cut out any spots you don’t like…quarter…at an angle…cut out the core! Throw unpeeled fruit into the crockpot…add apple juice about 3 cups…turn on medium and let it cook all night! House smells wonderful! Next day, add cinnamon, apple pie spices, brown sugar (abt 2 cups)…some vanilla…and remove the lid, (if there’s too much liquid)…take a stick blender and blend up. Just like Grandma’s apple butter from long ago! Can it in jars. Pressure can for about 10 minutes at 15 lbs. Makes great gifts also!
Oh yes, yes I have! ;-D
http://sustainablecooks.com/2011/11/apple-butter-in-crockpot.html
But I don’t add any juice.
Thanks! What a great post! After making tons of applesauce with sweeter apples I was left with about 100 pounds of granny smith apples. I figured I need an easy way to quickly preserve them to make into apple pie. I’m glad I found your blog! This is my first couple days of canning .