We went apple-picking and have two pecks of apples–and now the kids know what we mean when we sing “a bushel and a peck”?
So, we made some applesauce and I think we’ll make baked apples and apple crumble and possibly some apple muffins.
This is a great addition to our study of apples as well as a prelude to the (very basic) colonial lifeways studies we do in November.
I need to get a canner, though, so recommendations are greatly appreciated!
We peeled and cored apples using our apple-peeler. (Just 6 because we aren’t canning.)
I chopped up the apples.
We poured in 1/2 cup of apple cider and a cup of water.
We boiled the apples and then lowered the temperature to simmer for about 40 minutes.
Then we put in two tablespoons of honey (optional but our apples were a bit tart) and way too much cinnamon–I would suggest starting with 1/2 teaspoon and then adding more to taste.
Stir vigorously or use a potato ricer if you want chunky.
Or put in a blender if you want a smooth puree.
Yum!
Educational Connections
- Science: What does canning do? How does it work?
- History / Culture: Why was it necessary to can fruits and vegetables in earlier eras?
- Mathematics: Measure out ingredients. Consider: why is it important to measure ingredients?
- Mathematics: How many apples did it take to produce one cup of applesauce?
Very cool! I love cooking with my three year old daughter too! Lots of options as far as a manner goes. If you’ll just be doing a bit of applesauce, a tall stockpot would do (with a way to keep jars off bottom of pan). For things with enough acidity like fruit, jam, pickles, a waterbath canner is probably the way to go. If you want to can everything, get a pressure canner. Lots of good resources online (ball canning guide fairly complete and has educational detail) and waterbath canners and supplies available at places like mom n pop hardware stores.
Do you have a recommendation for a waterbath canner–that’s what I’d like to get!