I haven't been enthusiastic about canning for many years. I honestly can't remember the last time I canned seriously, but I'm pretty sure it was before we moved here. Back then I mostly used pint and half-pint sized jars. This year we have a bumper crop of apples and pears.
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| The Jonathan Tree |
I've only cleared off two trees so far and we've frozen a few gallons (no, I'm not kidding
gallons) of applesauce.
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| Toddler helper = bites out of each apple |
I filled three 5-gallon buckets with windfall apples and turned those into cider...
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| Precious Cargo |
Two gallons of cider are in the freezer for a special occasion (Christmas and Easter?). One was happily consumed. Nothing beats these Jonathan apples for fresh cider. I may just buy my own press for next year (although it was kind of fun pressing with other people-I just don't like bringing my kids other places where I need to watch them, but I need to work).
When I unpacked my jars and realized I had less than a dozen quart jars, I had to go buy more. With a family this size, there is no way a pint of applesauce will feed everyone. Quarts or bust. I brought home five cases.
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| The green jar is actually a blue jar with yellow applesauce |
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| I broke one quart jar, so used the lid on a pint |
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| Apple butter (brown) mixed with apple sauce (pink) |
The real fun part is the different colors of the applesauce. Each batch has its own ratios of Jonathan (red peels) to the other kind with yellowish/greenish peels (Granny Smith we think). As I run out of applesauce filling jars, I start another batch, so sometimes the jars have a zebra effect.
So far, I have 30 quarts of applesauce and butter, plus more in the fridge. Tomorrow I can pears. I couldn't do a project like this if it weren't for the help I get from Genevieve and Fiona. They took turns being buddies with the littles while I worked. They also helped shake the trees and pick up all the apples (Daniel help too). We truly have reached the Golden Age of Large Family FUNctioning.
