Family Applesauce Day | My Little House on the Hill

Start the day by baking cinnamon rolls

I love canning. I love canning more when I get to do it with people I love. And I sure love my family. It was a long day of hard work- but spent in the best of company. I started the day with some therapeutic baking.

The sun was shining, we left the door and windows open to enjoy the breeze (and cooling off the hot kitchen). The kids helped, played with the dog, played in the yard. There was some irish pub music, some country music, a splash of Barry White. Apples everywhere. So many apples! Family members came and went throughout the day. And then for dinner, we celebrated my mom and Geno’s birthdays, before finishing the rest of the applesaucing and then starting on the clean up.

All in all it took us 9 hours to can 9 bushels of apples into 135 quarts of applesauce.

Canning fun

While had I canned tomatoes solo, and canned peaches with one friend, this was the first large crowd canning session at the new house– and I must say, it was fabulous. We moved the dining room table into the kitchen and though a bit tight to get around, it worked out great. We washed apples at the laundry room sink (steps away from the kitchen) and had two strainers going, cooked all the apples inside and then canning the jars on the canning stove in the garage. Fabulous.

the girls took turns working the washing station (ignore the painting mess on the windowsill)

The canning set up (aka mayhem in the kitchen)

buddies

Jane washed apples for hours like a champ.

Donal applesaucing like a boss

Our designated compost girl. She was great. Even when she was out playing in the yard, we’d yodel her name and she’d come running and dump our buckets. What a gal. And did you notice the AWESOME hand knitted headpiece?