Canning Applesauce with no Added Sugar: No Peeling

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This no sugar canning recipe for applesauce is easy (no peeling) and delicious! This applesauce recipe uses a water-bath canner and is a great canning project for a beginner. Preserve your fresh apples and enjoy them all winter with this delicious recipe.

Apple season is such a wonderful time of year. Apple recipes are some of my favorite. The fall months always get my canning instincts going in anticipation of winter.

We have 7 apple trees on our property, so the fall months are always a time to preserve apples. One of my favorite preservation methods is canning no sugar applesauce.

Home-canned no sugar added applesauce can be used as a replacement for oil in baking recipes, added to oatmeal for breakfast, or mixed with other fresh or canned fruit and served as a side dish for dinner. Add a little maple syrup and some cinnamon for an easy, healthy, dessert!

This recipe uses the hot water bath canning method. Apples are acidic enough to be safely canned using a water bath canner. Always use canning recipes and processing times that have been tested for safety.

Tips for Canning No Sugar Applesauce

This applesauce recipe is easy and a great way to preserve your apples. Applesauce is a pantry staple that we always have on hand. It can be used in so many different recipes.

I like to can applesauce without added sugar. Canning the apples without added ingredients preserves your options when you want to use the applesauce in a baking recipe. Sugar can be added at the time of serving if desired. It’s always a good idea to preserve your options in the kitchen!

Ingredients:

Apples: You can use any kind of apples to make apple sauce. Mix different apple varieties together to get unique flavors. We have used honey-crisp, Fuji, Lodi, red delicious, and golden delicious apples. Tart apples mixed with sweet apples gives a delicious flavor in the finished applesauce. If you use apples with red skin, your applesauce may develop a lovely pink color.

Water: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of water. This small amount of water keeps the apples from scorching on the bottom of the pan. You may need to add a little more water if your apples have a thicker texture.

Tools:

How to Make Applesauce Recipe: No Sugar Canning

Fill your water-bath canner with enough water to cover the quart jars with 1-2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat while you are preparing the applesauce.

Prepare Jars

Clean jars and bands in hot water and gather lids. (Note: you can use pint jars, but with a family of 5, I have found that we go through a quart jar of applesauce within a week of opening it. If we are eating it at a side dish, it’s gone in one sitting!)

Prepare Apples

Use apples that are ripe and unblemished. Use any apple variety in this recipe. Sweet apples work best. The final flavor of the applesauce will vary based on the variety of apples you use.

This recipe calls for 20-24 pounds of apples which will yield approximately 7 quarts of applesauce. Most water bath canners can fit 7 quart jars, so this recipe will yield a full canner batch.

Place apples in a sink full of cold water to rinse. They can float there while you work through cutting them all up.

After you rinse the apples, use a sharp paring knife to slice the apple into quarters and remove the core. You do not need to peel the apples.

Cook the Apples

Place apple slices in a large pot and add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat with the lid on the pot. Continue simmering over low heat. When the apples begin to soften, stir with a wooden spoon to break them up.

Add water if the applesauce is too thick or starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use a potato masher to break up the apples. When the apples are soft enough to go through the food mill, remove from the heat.

After you remove the apples from the heat, place a food mill over a large glass bowl. Use a large spoon to fill the food mill with the cooked apples. Turn the food mill handle to puree the applesauce and remove the skins.

Note: You will need to remove the skins from the food mill each time you fill it. Feed the skins to your pigs or chickens!

Continue processing all the apples with the food mill.

If you prefer chunkier applesauce, you can mix in some of the applesauce before it goes through the food mill, but make sure you don’t add any of the skin.

Canning the Unsweetened Applesauce

After all the apples have been run through the food mill, spoon the hot applesauce into hot jars to a 1/2 inch headspace using a canning funnel. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims with a clean towel or paper towel. Place lids and bands. Screw bands to finger tight. Do not over-tighten the bands.

After all jars are filled and lids are placed, put applesauce-filled jars into the water bath canner and add the canner lid. Bring the water back to a boil and process quarts for 20 minutes or pints for 15 minutes (adjusting for altitude if needed).

After the processing time is complete, turn off the heat, and use a jar lifter to remove the jars from the water bath canner. Place jars on a kitchen towel on the kitchen counter. Allow jars to cool and sit for 12-24 hours. After cooling time, remove bands, and check to make sure lids are sealed. Store at room temperature out of direct light. Store this applesauce for 1-2 years in a dark place.

Elevation Adjustments for Canning No Sugar Applesauce Recipe

Elevation adjustments are as follows:

• 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation: published processing time
• 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation: add 5 minutes
• 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation: add 10 minutes
• Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation: add 15 minutes

How to Use Canned Sugar-Free Applesauce

Use this homemade applesauce recipe in all your daily meals!

We use our no sugar applesauce as an oil replacement in cookies, muffins, cakes, and sweet breads. Substitute the same amount of applesauce for oil in baking recipes.

We mix it in our oatmeal for breakfast and eat it as a side for lunch. We often add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top for a delicious side at dinnertime.

Homemade, home-canned applesauce is definitely a pantry staple at our house, and now you can add it to yours! Make your own applesauce today using this easy recipe.

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