Apples, Apples and MORE Apples

Today was the day I dread all year. It is applesauce making day. Of all the fruit there is to can, I dread it the most. Probably because it takes the most work and the most time. 13 hours worth this time!

The one thing that makes it better is to do it with someone else. Amanda and I have been canning applesauce together for a few years and it makes a tremendous difference. The very first thing to do when making applesauce is to put something in the crock pot for dinner, because that is the last thing I want to think about in the evening when everyone is hungry. Today I made Bean and Wheat chili and put it in the crock pot to simmer all day.

We started this morning at 8:30. Amanda already had 3 bushels of apples all washed and ready t0 cut when I got there. That saved us at least an hour. The past few years we have canned in the kitchen in our basement, but Amanda has a nice, new, big kitchen and it worked out fabulous. She had the wonderfully brilliant idea to use the Camp Chef propane stove. That saved us hours of time as well. We used it to water bath the jars of applesauce and used the stove in the house to cook the apples so they would go through the machine. We did approximately 7 bushel of apples (Jonathan, Red Delicious, Elliott Gold, and some off my tree that I still don't know what kind they are). We ended up with 51 quarts and 97 pints of sauce, and 36 quarts and 3 two quart bottles of apple juice. That's 187 bottles. My feet, legs and back can tell you that that was a ton of work. I left Amanda's house at 9:30.

I am grateful:
1- For my dad and all his hard work on his garden and fruit trees that he shares so willingly and so selflessly with us.
2- For Amanda and her great ideas. The Camp Chef was so wonderful. We had all the bottles water bathed before we finished with the clean up because of this great idea. That has NEVER happened before. Usually we are up till midnight or so finishing up the water bathing.
3-For Amanda's kids being so good and hardly bothering us so we could get this all done. Even the baby was great. She only fussed when she was hungry.
4- To my mother for teaching me how to can.
5- THAT IT IS ALL DONE!!!! :) I would do the happy dance, but I am WAY too tired!!!
6- That I get to sleep in tomorrow.