Friday, September 21, 2012

Canning: Blueberry Cinnamon Applesauce


I decided to try something new this year with our applesauce.  It was a very bad year for apples, so they weren't particularly consistent with regard to flavor.  That being the case, I thought it would be best if most of my applesauce for the year was flavored instead of plain.  With that in mind, and plenty of blueberries in the freezer, I tried my hand at making a blueberry applesauce, along the same lines as my strawberry applesauce.  Since cinnamon pairs so well with blueberries, I thought that would be a good addition as well.

Here are approximate ratios for the sauce:

Blueberry Cinnamon Applesauce
14 - 15lbs apples
2 1/2lbs. blueberries
(if you really like blueberries, you could use a bit more)
1/4c. lemon juice
2 1/2c. brown sugar
2-3tsp. cinnamon

Everything except the sugar and cinnamon go in the pot to cook down.
Here, you can see I tried to use my immersion blender, but those blueberries were just too elusive.
The regular blender was needed. 
I also ended up a bit more pleased with how finely it chopped up the blueberry skins.
Be careful transferring that hot applesauce.
 After it's all blended well, return it to the pot and add your cinnamon and sugar.
Bring it back up to a simmer, stirring often to keep from scorching.
It's best to taste this while it's cool, to see if you need more cinnamon or sugar.  You can transfer a bit to a small bowl and set it in the freezer for a few minutes in order to cool it down for a taste test.

Once you've got it the way you like, go ahead and put it in jars, leaving a 1/2" headspace.  Wipe your rims, place lids and rings, and process in a water bath for 20 minutes once your water has reached a full boil, with steam escaping from under the lid.
Here is some of the blueberry cinnamon applesauce.
That's strawberry applesauce sitting to the right.

I really liked this sauce.  Maybe even better than the strawberry - but then again, I like blueberries better anyway.  The acid test was the girls.  All of the ones who like blueberries, liked this sauce, and one that doesn't declared it to be, "Pretty good".  A firm recommendation if I ever heard one.

I've linked this post with the Carnival of Home Preserving,

and the
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I have also linked up with the Homestead Barn Hop,

and with the blog hop at Simple and Joyful.

There are lots of good ideas being shared through these link-ups. You should check them out.

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13 comments:

  1. Becky, I bet this is good! I can almost smell it. Where is scratch and sniff pictures when you want them?! lol

    Thanks for stopping by and linking up this great post at the Carnival of Home Preserving!

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    1. Yes, it did smell pretty terrific.

      And as always - thanks for hosting the link!

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  2. Ooh this looks so good! I found you through Carnival of Home Preserving and have bookmarked your page. I hope you will come over and link up to my Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/09/farm-girl-friday-blog-fest-1.html

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    1. Thanks for stopping by!
      I'd love to join your blog fest. I saw lots of links I can't wait to read.

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  3. This applesauce looks amazing! Can't wait to try it. I am just starting a new homestead related link up, and would love you to join. If you get a moment, come by and check it out! http://www.simplejoyfulliving.com/2012/09/backyard-farming-connection-bees.html

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    1. Thanks for inviting me. I'd love to link up with your blog hop. Your site looks really nice too. I'll have to find a few minutes to check out more of your posts.

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  4. Thanks for linking up! You were featured this week. http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/09/farm-girl-friday-blog-fest-1.html

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  5. Oh and just saw about the button...please let me know if the mistake is on my end..I'm new to all this! Thanks.

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    1. Well, thank you so much for featuring me!
      As to the button, I have no idea if it was me, or a problem with your button. I suspect it was me since I'm not particularly computer savvy. I'm going to have my daughter Ri take a look when she comes over tomorrow. I'm sure she can figure it out.

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  6. Now I want to go to market next week and make that recipe. I, too, am now a homeschool mom. I'd like to feature your blog on my USA book tour. I'm inviting only ten blogs from each state and (ten internationally). You can learn more here: http://renee-joyjourney.com/2012/09/get-featured-on-total-home-makeover-usa.html. I hope to feature you. Thanks, Renee

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    1. Thank you so much. I'm honored that you would want to feature my blog. I did stop by for a minute and looked around your site a little, and I must admit that I'm far from being free of chaos around here. In fact, with four of my children still at home (one grown and three still homeschooling), along with a disabled husband, I find that chaos and breathing pretty much go hand in hand. :) But, I will certainly stop by your site and check things out more fully as soon as I get the chance.

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  7. that looks really good.
    just wondering, do you need sugar?

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    1. If your apples are sweet enough, I suppose you wouldn't need sugar. Since we had a bad year for apples, I had to take what I could get, and the apples I had were a little tart. Not like Granny Smith's, but not as sweet as Golden Delicious, so I thought mine needed a little sweetening. I chose brown sugar because I thought it would pair well with the blueberries and cinnamon. You could use white if you wanted to.

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