Every Way I Preserve Apples in October
Applesauce, apple butter, rings, pie filling and cold storage: one bushel, five methods.
October in Idaho means a bushel of apples on my kitchen floor and a week of sticky counters. Here's how one bushel gets split up.
1. Cold storage
The best keepers (Fuji, Granny Smith, Arkansas Black) are wrapped one by one in newspaper and stored cold. They last until February.
Beyond apple seasonHistoric preserving recipes for every month, not just October. peek inside →2. Applesauce
Bruised ones get cooked down with a splash of cider and water-bath canned: 20 minutes for pints, plus time for altitude.
3. Apple butter
Sauce, slow-cooked overnight with cinnamon and a little brown sugar until it's dark and thick. Pure October in a jar.
4. Dried rings
Core, slice, dip in lemon water, dehydrate. A handful in a lunch bag beats any candy bar.
5. Pie filling
Use ClearJel only (never flour or cornstarch for canning) and follow a tested recipe.
Peels and cores? Simmer them into apple-scrap vinegar. Nothing goes to waste in a real pantry.
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