Apples And Their Types
Apples are widely available on the market. There are so many different varieties of apples and each variety is seasonal. Yes, you will not find all the varieties of apples throughout the year. Apples are a mainstay fruit in almost every household. And they are used in many recipes, from baking to cooking.
You must be buying apples in bulk, but unfortunately, they cannot be stored for very long in the refrigerator. The apples develop brown spots and turn softer. This ruins their taste. Have you ever thought of storing apples for later use? Can you store apples for later use? Read on to know more!
Is It Possible To Store Apples For Later Use?
Yes, it is possible to store apples for later use. Apples do not last very long when stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. They need to be consumed within a month. But storing them for later preserves the apples in the longer run. This way you can also ensure a year-round supply of apples at your home.
How Can You Store Apples?
Storing apples has two possibilities- freezing and canning. These two methods are the best way to store apples for a long time. The steps for freezing and canning the apples vary, but the effect is the same: preserving the apples. The methods of home preservation also depend on the intended use of the apples.
What Is The Best Way To Preserve Apples?
The best way to preserve apples is by canning. This is because canned apples last longer than frozen apples. While frozen apples can last for about six months, you can store canned apples for up to a year. Also, apples react well upon canning, therefore it would be great if you preserve the apples by canning.
How To Can Apples?
The process of canning apples is quite easy, but you need to follow the steps properly so that you do not end up damaging the apples. Apples can be canned using the water bath canner method and stored in pint-sized jars for later use.
Check out the step-by-step approach for canning apples below.
- Prepare and sterilize the canning jars and lids. Place them in a canner and thoroughly rinse the canning supplies in hot boiling water, and let them air dry. Look for any nicks and fractures in the jars and discard them.
- Apples do not release any juice while being cut, so it is necessary that you make syrup for canning apples. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and add sugar to prepare the syrup. Turn off the stove when the syrup becomes a little thick in consistency.
- Take your apples and wash them under running water. This will remove all the dirt. Next, remove the stem, peel the apples, and cut them into halves, slices, or chunks, whatever size you prefer.
- Soak the apples in a lemon water bath. You can prepare the lemon water bath by adding lemon juice to cold water. Lemon has citric acid which will prevent the apples from turning brown.
- Drain the cut apples from the lemon water bath after some time and pour the warm sugar syrup over them. Cover the pot and place the saucepan on the stove. Boil the apples with syrup for about 5 minutes. This is done to partially cook the apples.
- Let the apples cool down, and then transfer them into a canning jar that you have already prepared. Do not fill the jars with apples, leave a 1-2 inches headspace. Make sure that your apples are adequately dipped in the syrup inside the jar.
- Seal the jars with their respective lids and tie the bands. Wipe off the extra syrup that might have overflowed. Place the jars with apples back into the water bath canner to boil. This will create pressure inside the jars and seal them tightly.
- Use a jar lifter to remove the canning jars from the water bath. Check if they have been sealed properly or not. Label and date the jars to know how long the apples have been canned. And your apples are ready for canning.
Tips For Canning Apples!
Now that you know the steps for canning apples, check out the mentioned tips here that will improve the preserving quality of your canned apples. These will also ensure effective canning.
- Always go for fresh apple produce that is crisp and juicy. Discard the ones that are overripe, or blemished. Fresh apples perform well upon canning.
- Do not skip the lemon juice. This will not only prevent the apples from turning brown but also boost the canning process. You can also use bottled lemon juice for the purpose.
- Use appropriate jar sizes for canning the apples. This will be beneficial when you store the apples in the long run. Pint-size is best suited for storing apples.
- Dipping the apples in a preserving liquid is necessary as this will help the canned apples maintain their taste and shape. You can use either honey or sugar syrup for this purpose.
- If you are canning apple sauce then it is better if you add a splash of lemon juice to it before storing them for longer. This will maintain the acid levels of apples.
Which Apples Are Best For Canning?
Apples that are fresh and perfectly ripe are always best for canning. They can never go wrong. However, there are a lot of apple varieties available on the market and all of them are not suitable for canning. This is because some varieties do not stand up well when cooked or canned.
Granny Smith, Honey Gold, Braeburn, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, and Fuji are some of the best varieties of apples that can be canned, cooked, and baked. This is because they are crisp and react to canning well.
Further, you need to make sure that your apples are fresh, unblemished, juicy, and ripe for canning. Softer apples or overripe apples will not be suitable for canning. Also, if you want to can applesauce, choose varieties like Golden Delicious, Jonagolds, Macouns, and Red Delicious.
How Long Can You Store Canned Apples?
Apples have great shelf stability when stored under proper conditions. Canning apples can be stored for about a year without any texture or flavor alterations. It is technically possible to keep the apples for more than a year, but it would be best if you consume them as soon as possible.
Apple retains its freshness and taste even after being preserved for such a long life. This indicates apples are best for canning. This way you can store seasonal apples around the year at your home. This also means you have a ready supply of apples whenever you need them.
Canning The Apples Without Sugar
If you are planning to can the apples without sugar, you can simply add honey syrup instead of sugar syrup to preserve the apples. You can also add apple juice for the canning process. But whatever you use, it is important that you let them boil before canning.
Sugar is not a necessary ingredient in canning apples. However, the syrup is important. Therefore, you can eliminate the sugar, but not the syrup. The liquid component is what aids the canning process.
Canning The Apple Slices
Canning the apples in slices is the most popular way of storing apples in the long run. However, sometimes the slices might not be suitable for the intended use. Therefore if you specifically want to can apples in slices, make sure you know the intended use, otherwise, you will have a lot of canned sliced apples.
The process for canning apple slices is the same. You can use the water bath canner to preserve the apples for later use. Also, you can use the sliced apples in a lot of baking recipes or have them as it is.
Canning The Apples Without Peeling
If you are planning to can the apples without peeling, that is not a good idea. This is because the peels might turn the apples somewhat dry even if you soak them in syrup while canning. The peels might also slow down the canning process.
Every apple canning procedure suggests peeling the apples before canning. Therefore, you should avoid canning apples with their skin. It is best to peel them, remove the stem and then store the apples in canning jars.
Can You Store Apple Pie Filling?
Yes, you can store apple pie filling. Apple pie filling has undergone cooking, therefore storing them will not be the same as storing regular apples. The process will be slightly different. You can also store the apple pie filling by freezing it.
Summing it up that was all about canning apples. Now you know the best possible way to store your canned apples for longer in jars by applying the water bath canning method. Do not forget to immerse the apples completely in liquid while in the jars. Canned apples are healthy and are great for food preservation.