Canning applesauce, how can I make this more efficient?

[WildOlive]

I did not grow up with a mom who canned, so often people will know little tips and tricks that do not occur to me.

Anyway, in another week I will be getting a hundred pounds of apples for $12 (woohoo!) and they are going into applesauce and dried apples. I got a bushel already b/c we couldn't wait for the cheap ones. Yesterday I made a batch of applesauce. I had my huge soup pot full of apples, and after they were all cooked down and strained, it only made 3 quarts. I already learned one lesson, which is not to bother if you only have an hour and a half to work on it, 3 qts. for all that work of set up and clean up isn't worth it.

[Maggirayne]

:cup

[ThreeKids]

Was there something odd about the texture of the apples, maybe a lot of water? I usually get good returns. You used a food mill, right?

[MTmomma]

I always run my pulp through my food strainer 3 ish times.

[arelyn]

Hold on...food strainer?? Food mill??? What are those for? Obviously I also don't have a canning mom, just a second hand ball blue book and for the record I usually only get 3-4 quarts too. I thought that was normal. :shrug3

[Llee]

Huh. we didn't strain or use a food mill. MIL just cut up the apples into smallish pieces and it took maybe 30 minutes or so until they cooked down. I have no idea.

[WildOlive]

I have this strainer (http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-Model-Strainer-Sauce-Maker/dp/B001I7FP54/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290906748&sr=8-1). When it is run through once there is nothing of the pulp but the seeds and peels. I did manage to get 6 qts at once but using my dutch oven as well as the stock pot, and quartering the apples instead of cooking them whole as the person who taught me to make applesauce first showed me.

When I can I want the whole canner full, otherwise it feels like a waste of time to me.

[arelyn]

I use the Yankee Apple Peeler to de-core, peel and slice them before I cook the apples down. Maybe that's why I get less finished product.

[MTmomma]

I use the Yankee Apple Peeler to de-core, peel and slice them before I cook the apples down. Maybe that's why I get less finished product.

I bet it is. All I do is quarter the apples and cook them in a tiny bit of water (like maybe an inch on the bottom) until they're soft. Then I run them through my food strainer. I get absolutely every bit of good apple meat this way. The only thing that's left over is the seeds and skin.