Canning applesauce at home is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to preserve apples for year-round use. With just a few ingredients and simple canning tools, you can stock your pantry with jars of homemade applesauce that taste like fall in every spoonful.
There’s something about the scent of simmering apples that feels like autumn wrapped in a pot. Canning applesauce is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to preserve the harvest.
A jar of homemade applesauce tucked away in the pantry brings back the taste of crisp fall days, warm kitchens, and orchard afternoons, ready to be enjoyed all year long.
Around here, our little acre doesn’t allow for many fruit trees, but we’re surrounded by four family-run orchards that keep us supplied with apples each fall. One of our favorite homeschool traditions is heading out with bushel baskets, picking apples until our arms are full and our cheeks pink from the chill.
Back home, the real fun begins... transforming all those apples into jars of sauce, butter, pie filling, jelly, and even pickled slices.
Today, I’ll show you just how easy it is to can applesauce at home—whether you like it smooth or chunky, spiced or plain.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients. Just apples, water, and (if you’d like) a little sugar and spice.
Customizable. Make it sweet or tart, chunky or smooth, just the way your family likes it.
Family-friendly: A perfect recipe to make with kids. Let them help stir, taste, and even turn the crank on the apple peeler and corer.
Pantry staple. Once canned, your applesauce will last 18 months or more on the shelf.
Budget-friendly. A bushel of apples can be turned into 12-14 quarts of applesauce... far cheaper (and tastier) than store-bought jars, plus no corn syrup.
Choosing the Best Apples for Applesauce
The beauty of applesauce is that you can use almost any apple variety, but some make a smoother, more flavorful sauce than others.
- Soft apples like McIntosh or Golden Delicious break down quickly.
- Firm, tart apples like Granny Smith balance sweetness beautifully.
- Best option: Use a mix of sweet and tart for depth of flavor.
Pro tip: Check out my full Amazon Storefront for all my favorite canning tools and preserving must-haves.
How Much Applesauce Does a Bushel of Apples Make?
A full bushel of apples weighs about 45 pounds and yields roughly 12–14 quarts of applesauce. The exact amount depends on the apple variety and how thick you like your sauce.
How to Puree Applesauce
Texture comes down to the tools you use:
Food mill (my go-to): smooth, classic sauce.
Immersion blender: quick, easy cleanup.
Potato masher: rustic, chunky sauce.
Electric food strainer: a dream tool if you can a lot of apples or tomatoes.
Tips for the Best Canned Applesauce
- Peel if needed.
- Heat before packing.
- Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover tool.
- Add lemon juice.
- Mix apple varieties.
Ingredients
- 10–12 lbs apples (a mix of sweet + tart is best)
- ½–1 cup sugar, optional
- 2 tablespoon bottled lemon juice (per quart of sauce)
- 1–2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional (or add nutmeg, allspice, ginger)
Step-by-Step: Canning Applesauce
Prep the apples. Peel, core, and slice apples. (A hand-crank apple peeler makes quick work!)
Cook until soft. Place apples in a stockpot with a splash of water to prevent sticking. Simmer until tender (5–20 minutes).
Puree. Run softened apples through a food mill or blend to desired texture.
Flavor the sauce. Return puree to the pot. Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and spices if using. Bring to a gentle boil.
Prepare jars. Wash jars, lids, and bands. Keep hot until ready.
Fill jars. Ladle hot applesauce into jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids/bands.
Process. Place jars in a boiling water bath canner. Process pints and quarts for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude).
Cool & store. Remove jars, let rest 12–24 hours. Check seals before storing in a cool, dark place.
More Apple Recipes
If you’re canning applesauce, you’ll love these other ways to preserve the harvest:
- Homemade Apple Butter
- Canning Apple Pie Filling
- No Churn Apple Pie Ice Cream
- Caramel Apple Cider Float
📖 Recipe
Homemade Canning Applesauce Recipe (Easy & Delicious)
This simple recipe for canning applesauce captures the cozy flavors of fall in a jar. With just apples, lemon juice, and optional sugar or spices, you can preserve homemade applesauce to enjoy all year long. Perfect for beginners and seasoned canners alike.
Ingredients
- 6 Lbs Gala Apples (sub other sweet variety), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 6 Lbs Granny Smith Apples (sub other tart variety), peeled, cored, and sliced
- Water
- 2 Cups Organic Cane Sugar (optional)
- 4 tablespoon Bottled Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmet
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
Instructions
- Prepare the apples. Wash, peel, core, and slice your apples. (A hand-crank apple peeler makes this go quickly.)
- Cook until soft. Place sliced apples into a large stockpot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Simmer over medium heat until apples are tender and beginning to fall apart, 5–20 minutes depending on the variety.
- Puree the apples. Run softened apples through a food mill for smooth sauce, or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier texture. An immersion blender also works if you prefer extra-smooth applesauce.
- Season the sauce. Return the puree to the pot. Stir in lemon juice, sugar, and spices if using. Taste and adjust as needed. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
- Prepare jars. Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water. Keep hot until ready to use.
- Fill jars. Ladle hot applesauce into jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover or spatula, wipe rims clean, and apply lids and bands.
- Process in water bath canner. Place jars in boiling water bath canner. Process pints and quarts for 20 minutes (see altitude adjustments in notes).
- Cool and store. After processing, let jars rest in canner for 5 minutes before removing. Place on a towel-lined counter and leave undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals before storing in a cool, dark pantry.
Notes
- Applesauce texture: Food mills make the smoothest applesauce, while a potato masher leaves a rustic, chunky sauce. Both are delicious—choose based on your family’s preference.
- Sweetening: Applesauce doesn’t need sugar for canning safety. Taste your sauce first—if your apples are naturally sweet, you may not need to add any.
- Spices: Adding cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or ginger makes a cozy “apple pie” flavor, but keep some jars plain for flexibility in recipes.
- Altitude Adjustment:
- 1,001–3,000 ft: Increase processing time by 5 minutes.
- 3,001–6,000 ft: Increase processing time by 10 minutes.
- 6,001–8,000 ft: Increase processing time by 15 minutes.
- 8,001–10,000 ft: Increase processing time by 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
½ CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 9gSugar: 59gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information may not be accurate
Beth says
I just made my first canned applesauce this past Fall. I have access to an abandoned orchard and I made a *lot* and kept some for myself but also gave as Christmas gifts. They were a mix of several types of very flavorful apples and I used very minimal sweetener bc some of it will be used in baking. I discovered something interesting: without a tiny pinch of cinnamon, it was kind of flat and 1-dimensional. I suppose you could use nutmeg, allspice, or Ginger bc the amount I added (about a half teaspoon in 6 lbs of apples + half cup each of cider and sugar) wasn't even detectable but it perked the sauce up like you wouldn't believe.
Danielle McCoy says
Interesting! I like the flavor the maple syrup adds. It's not so much sweet as it just adds some dimension, like you said.
Angela says
I cant wait to try this recipe!
Danielle McCoy says
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Elizabeth Klassen says
I am just curious if I decide not to add 2 cups of cane sugar, if this recipe would still be considered safe to can.
Danielle McCoy says
Yes, you can omit the sugar, it isn't utilized for safety, only flavor. The lemon juice does need added, however.