Preserve fresh autumn apples with this delicious recipe for Crock-Pot Spiced Applesauce which you can process in jars for eating all year long.
Slow Cooker Spiced Applesauce (Canning Recipe)
Recently a friend gifted me a few buckets of apples fresh from her apple tree. I decided to can up some jars of spiced applesauce with those apples. But, because I like to use a variety of apples I also picked up a bag each of Granny Smith and Gala apples too.
The apples from my friend were a little bit bland. I am not really sure what variety they were. So adding Granny Smith apples added some tartness. And the Gala apples added some sweetness.
Since we add a lot of flavor with the apple juice and brown sugar I wanted a good tart base.
I normally use at least 2 different kinds of apple’s in my apple sauce, and 3 if possible.
I like to use apple juice because it adds just a little bit of flavor, especially when using bland apples. But feel free to just use water if you don’t have any apple juice on hand. However, if you are going to use apple juice make sure to use 100% juice.
And because this is a spiced applesauce there is some nice cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves added. Trust me when I say your house is going to smell AMAZING while this cooks!
This recipe, as written will give you all the steps and tools needed for canning your applesauce in jars. This allows you to enjoy eating the applesauce all year around. However, if canning is not your thing feel free to eat this all up, bake it into baked goods, make these amazing Crock-Pot Applesauce Pork Chops or pop into freezer containers and freeze for up to 8 months.
Tools & Equipment Needed For Applesauce & Canning:
- 6.5 Quart Crock-Pot – Cook your apples, brown sugar and spices with a little bit of apple juice or water until nice and soft.
- Victorio Strainer – I’ve had my strainer for years, but they still make them and they are wonderful for food processing, apple sauce, spaghetti sauce and juice. What is so great about the Victorio Strainer is it spits out the sauce in one spout and sends your stems, seeds and peelings in another so you don’t have to peel all the apples! It can also help you divert some of the juice too.
- Stockpot – Once the apples are strained I pop the puree into my large stock-pot and boil off any excess liquid that I had not been able to siphon away with the Victorio strainer. This is a personal preference on how thick you like your apple sauce. You can also pop the puree back into your Crock-Pot, put it on low with the lid propped open to cook away the excess liquid too.
- 4 Oz. Canning Jars With Lids And Rings – I picked up these super cute jars at Walmart. Love them and they hold just the right amount of applesauce for our family. They remind me of the individual serving cups of applesauce you can buy at the grocery store. You can do bigger pint or quart jars. You will just need to adjust the canning time.
- Canner
- Presto Pressure Canner – This is what I like to use when home canning but there are other options too…
- Water Bath Canner
- Steam Canner
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are not into canning for long term food storage, feel free to spoon this applesauce into freezer containers or bags and pop them into your freezer. Make sure you label them so you know what is inside the containers!
Spiced applesauce will last for a long time.
– Canned: 1 year (according to the USDA) although we think they are safe to eat for at least 2 years.
– Frozen: 1 to 2 months
– Refrigerated: 1 week
You may either omit the sugar altogether or use a sweetener like Splenda brown sugar.
Special Diets
Gluten Free | High Fiber | Low Calorie | Low Cholesterol | Low Fat | Low Sodium | Paleo | Vegan | Vegetarian
This recipe for Crock-Pot Spiced Applesauce (Canning Recipe) is Weight Watchers Friendly on the new Personal Points plan. You can see the WW personal points for this recipe here on the Weight Watchers website. Click here for MORE of our Weight Watchers Recipes
More Crock-Pot Canning Recipes To Try!
Crock-Pot Homemade Apple Sauce
Turn fresh apples into one of the best Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Sauce with this simple and delicious recipe. Can the applesauce in jars or freeze!
Crock-Pot Caramel Apple Butter
Make this Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Butter today right in your slow cooker with just 5 simple ingredients. Great on your morning toast or even top yogurt!
Crock-Pot Fig Preserves
No need to heat up the kitchen by making preserves on the stove-top. Let the slow cooker do all the work in this easy recipe for Slow Cooker Fig Preserves!
Crock-Pot Apple Jelly
Turn fresh apples into lovely jelly with this simple recipe for Slow Cooker Apple Jelly. Can or refrigerate this flavorful jelly for your morning toast!
Recipe Collections:
- 5 Quart Crock-Pot Recipes
- 5.5 Quart Crock-Pot Recipes
- 6 Quart Crock-Pot Recipes
- 6.5 Quart Crock-Pot Recipes
- 7 Quart Crock-Pot Recipes
- Canning Recipes
- Fall Recipes
- Kid Friendly Crock-Pot Recipes
Crock-Pot Spiced Applesauce (Canning Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds Apples (At Least 2 Different Varieties With A Mix Of Sweet And Tart Applesnd sweet/mild)
- 1 Cup Apple Juice (Or 1 Cup Water)
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar (Or 3 Tablespoons Honey)
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (Or Allspice)
- 3 Whole Cloves
Instructions
- Wash, cut and core apples and add to a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove cloves and discard.
- For a smooth applesauce process the cooked apples through a food mill or blend with a blender. For a chunky applesauce, mash the apples to your desired consistency using a potato masher.
- Ladle the applesauce into sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean cloth or paper towel and place lids and rings on the jars. Twisting the rings closed until just finger-tight.
- Place prepared jars into either a water bath canner or steam canner and process for 20 minutes (adjusting for your elevation if needed). OR process jars in a pressure canner at 1000 ft. or less at 5 pounds pressure for 8 minutes.
- After processing the jars, remove the jars from the canner and place on a kitchen towel on the counter and allow the jars to come to room temperature. Check seals on jars and label jars with contents and dates before putting away for storage.
Notes
Nutrition
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