applesauce canning question

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This is the second time this has happened to me when canning applesauce: I made 7 pints, followed all directions, left 1/2 inch headspace, processed in boiling water for 20 mins. and even though the jars sealed, applesauce oozed out of the lids as they were being processed. The Ball Blue Book says that if they did seal, to clean the jars and they should be ok, no need to reprocess. However, I'm wondering how good the seal can be if the sauce was oozing out as it was sealing? Also, it looks like all the liquid in the sauce settled in the bottom and the thicker applesauce at the top looks full of air pockets. Has this ever happened to anyone? Should I keep them in the fridge to be on the really safe side? I usually go by what the Blue Book says, but not sure on this one. Not to mention that the sauce in the jars does not look really pretty and I had meant to give several to my Grandpa for his 93rd birthday! Any advice is appreciated.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), September 12, 2001

Answers

Hmm... My applesauce didn't separate but it does have lots of little air pockets in it and I did have some come out in the canning process. I still got good seals tho so I think it's alright as long as it seals. That's why Ball recommends wiping off the jars after they cool. Almost all jars will have some residue from the evacuation of air as it forms a vacuum.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), September 12, 2001.

The stuff coming out during the canning process is from exhaustion. It sometimes sends juice out with the air, this is what forms the vaccum to seal the lid. Applesauce is a pretty safe item to can. If it goes bad, you will see mold form in the jar or inside of the lid. Because it is not a low-acid product, you don't have the high risk of botulism. As far as the seperation, I would guess, you didn't have the apples cooked down far enough or added too much water. Just a guess.

-- Vickie Streicher (strike@i2k.com), September 12, 2001.

My experience is that Vickie is right with her guess. If you cook the sauce down so that it is quite thick, it will not separate in the jar. The sauce should "plop" off the spoon when you tilt it, instead of sliding off easily. I have not had any trouble with discoloration this canning season and I think I know why. Before cutting the apples, I fix a container of salt water: 2 tsp salt to 1 gallon of cold water. As I cut up the apples I put them in the salt water, making sure they go all the way under the water before they float back up. This is much better than lemon juice water; I did a test to be sure. All other factors being equal, the lemon juice batch turned out brownish while the salt water batch stayed quite light colored. Even where air bubbles were trapped in the jar, there was no discoloration. I made apple jam this year and my daughter noticed how white it was, almost as white as the raw apple.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), September 12, 2001.

name is so beautiful! Rose Marie Wild! Awesome! I wanted to e-mail you because I am a member of a poetry club and our lovely leader Clarrisa Wells has a collection of poems, titled, Summers Winter Song, and I wondered if you knew of her since your farm is named winter song. She sure has some beautiful poetry in it. Here is the one that the book is named after.

Summer's Winter Song

All winter long I feel the summer breeze in swaying, playful melodies, and though the snow banks high the hill, I see the flowering peach, hear soft notes of robins 'trill. And this is why I reap the summer joy the sparrow sings bouncing on his limb, assured a loving eye is watching over him.

I breathe the wild rose breath of June, write on my heart the warblers' tune to store with these and more in my mind's eye as autumn glows and summer waves good bye.

While winter storm and sleet rant cold, they prime my heart with summer's gold. Let chilling, howling winds blast clear; it's summer's winter song I hear.

Hope you enjoy this, Love TRen

-- trendle ellwood (trendlespin@msn.com), September 13, 2001.


Thanks everyone for the applesauce canning advice. You can never be too careful, especially when it's going to a 93 year old man as a gift! My Grandmother always made the best applesauce and the last time I made some and gave it to him, I saw tears in his eyes (she's been gone 12 years now). I'm sure it will be fine when we open it if we just stir the liquid back up into the apples. Yes, it is quite thick, as we like our applesauce chunky. And TRen, Muchas Gracias! I do Love the poem and am printing it as we speak! Is there any way I could get a copy of the poetry collection? As for my name, it's a creation of my own, a combination of my given name and a nickname I've had all my life. As for our farm's name, it comes from an Indian girl I read a newspaper article about years ago. I really admired what she stood for and was trying to do (a long story) and thought I would honor her by naming my farm after her. And, the fact that I love winter and music made it a certain name for my place!

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), September 13, 2001.


Although I've never had juice come out under the lid, I have had batches where the liquid separated from the sauce. In fact, I opened one of last year's jars last night that was just that way. All I do is shake the jar and mix it in. The applesauce was fine (must have been if I'm sitting here telling you about it!!). I think it also depends on the type of apple and how ripe they are. I don't cook my applesauce down once it is made, I just can it at whatever moisture content it is when the apples are fully cooked. Some apples are juicier than others.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), September 13, 2001.

Woah! Rose Marie, I was just reading over the poem and realized that it has the words wild rose in it, it was meant for you! I have only two copies of my beloved Clarrisa's books, but I am going to see her Friday, ( she is in a nursing home now, where as in her poem, she is keeping warm in her winter of life, with the summer in her heart.} I can't wait to go see her, take her an Autumn Boquet and I will read her,her old poems, and a few of my own, and to hear her laugh, a laugh which still rings fresh, as the flowering peach in May. I will see if I can buy some more of her books if any of her family are there. I'm pretty sure I will be able to get you one soon. I'll get back with you. TRen

-- trendle ellwood (trendlespin@msn.com), September 13, 2001.

One other thing - I try to leave a little more than 1/2 inch air space at the top - close to 3/4 or 1 inch, and it seems to work out better for me for thick stuff. Not so much oozing out....

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), September 13, 2001.

I leave a little bigger airspace at the top also...about 3/4" I would say. Mine has separated like that before...just shook up its fine. I think whoever said it could have been cooked down longer was right. But its fine to eat. At least mine always has been. I have never had sauce ooze out, but have had juice escape. If they stayed sealed you are probably fine. Applesauce is very obvious when it spoils!!

-- Jenny Pipes (Auntjenny6@aol.com), September 13, 2001.

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