Yesterday's Work

Wednesday afternoon we kids and Mama went and picked four bushels of apples. So, yesterday we had to do something with some of them. We decided to make applesauce and freeze it. Once we got the apples peeled, cored, and sliced (done with that great invention appropriately named the Apple-Peeler-Corer-Slicer) we cut the apple in half, added crystalline fructose, and cooked them in the microwave for approximately fifteen minutes. Once we determined that the apples were soft enough we ran them through the food processor. We went for more of a smooth consistency so the food processor part took longer that it might would have had we gone for lumpy applesauce. We filled ten pint-sized freezer boxes.
By this tome we were getting dangerously close to lunchtime, and we all needed a break. However, as was quoted several times yesterday, "No rest for the weary." We rather suddenly decided to can some! We gathered up all our quarter pint jars from every corner (we found around twenty-six of them), and started washing and boiling as fast as we could (the apples were nearly ready to be put into the jars). As usual, our propane burners came in handy, but we did the water baths inside. We were able to fill up twenty-one quarter pints with our last batch of apples. Thankfully, we had them in the water baths before twelve o'clock (strictly lunchtime). Unfortunately, we always forget to put some baked potatoes in the oven on canning day. It would make lunch so much easier, and cut out the "What on earth are we going to have for lunch!" We managed with cheese, crackers, peanut butter, bread, leftovers, etc. The water bath timer went off right as we sat down, but all we had to do was get those little, bitty jars out and set them on a prepared surface. Since they should not be bothered for at least twenty-four hours, they are still sitting there as I write. What a sticky kitchen we had though! And we are still not done! I am not sure we did even a whole bushel!