• Rinse 21 pounds of apples at the kitchen sink, if needed.
• Cut apples in half and remove blossom and stem ends, as well as the cores.
• Toss apple halves into a large stockpot, until it is filled 1/2-2/3 of the way.
• Add water until there's 1/2-1 inch in the bottom of your pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid and set to boil on the stove top.
• Once the water in the bottom has boiled, turn the heat to a low simmer.
• Stir every 7-10 minutes, pulling cooked apples off the bottom so they don't burn.
• As apples begin to soften, stir every 5 minutes to prevent burning (and remember to keep the heat low).
• Cook until the apples are a pile of mush.
• Cool until you're able to safely handle the fruit.
• Ladle cooked apples into a high powered kitchen blender, filling no more than 1/2 full.
• Puree until you no longer see apple peels whirling by.
• Dump all but 1 cup of sauce into a large bowl or container.
• Add more apples to the blender and puree.
• If you want thicker sauce, you can cook it down for another 30 minutes (stir every minute or two).
• Jar, lid and store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

How to Freeze Applesauce

• Ladle applesauce into jars.
• Leave 2-3 inches of open space at the top of each jar.
• Lid, label and freeze.
• Note: you can also use freezer containers or freezer bags for sauce.

How to Water Bath Can Applesauce

• Add water to your canner and set to boil.
• Pour sauce into a large stockpot and reheat to bubbling state, stirring every minute or two.
• Fill your canning jars with hot water to preheat.
• Grab a funnel and ladle, dump water out of a jar and fill with applesauce.
• Leave 1 inch of headspace (open space) at the top of your jar.
• Wipe the jar's rim, add a lid and tighten down a canning band.
• Set in the hot canner and continue filling jars.
• When all the jars have been filled, submerge in the water bath canner.
• Bring water to a rolling boil and process according to your altitude and jar size (see notes in blog post).
• Place canned jars of sauce on a cooling rack and let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours.
• Remove metal bands and test for a seal.
• Store on a kitchen shelf, pantry or cold room.