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| I have a lot of green skinned apples that cook up into a light pea green colored sauce which doesn't look appetizing to us. For fresh eating, we throw a handful of red hot cinnamon candies into it to add color, some sweetness, and a cinnamon flavor. Canning directions I find mention adding sugar if desired but nothing else. Is it safe to add the candies before processing? Will the color hold up? Will the cinnamon flavor remain? Or do you have other ideas to make a sauce that looks more attractive in the jar and perhaps avoid the added artificial colorings? I'm fine with or without the cinnamon flavor. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Cinnamon candies
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 12:43
| don't know if it's approved or not, but hubby's aunt used red hot candies in her applesauce and I've seen some recipes for that. How about just adding cinnamon, I've done that. Other times, I've added nutmeg, ground cloves or ginger with or without the cinnamon. I can understand the green color not being as appetizing. |
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| I find that even a few blackberries in the batch make a very appetizing colour! |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 13:53
| Cinnamon candies are a standard addition to applesauce. It's not a problem to add them. There is a natural red food color (available at Whole Foods, etc.) made with beets but I'm guessing with the green tinge you'd end up with muddy brown if you used it. Carol |
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| Is the applesauce still green if you peel the apples before cooking? |
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| Agree - just peel the apples first. Apples should be peeled first when making applesauce per the guidelines. Dave |
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| I would add the candies before serving - not before canning. I have to add that my family prefers green-looking applesauce - because it usually tastes better. |
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- Posted by naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan (My Page) on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 22:08
| Thanks for the ideas. The apples are small and I've been removing the blossom end and stem, quartering them, and cooking them. Then they were put through a food mill to remove the peels and cores. I didn't realize that peeling was required. Since they are small apples, I really don't want to spend all the time it would take to peel them. Would freezing be a safer way to store them? I typically would not want any added colors in my sauce, but this looks like sickly pea soup, and I'm surprised how much that bothers me. Usually, naturally colored foods would be my preferred choice. Questions about peels: I understand that they have more bacteria and fungi than other parts of the fruit. Are the peels removed before cooking to have better taste or to make it possible to safely process the sauce by canning? I was thinking that the processing times were set to kill ALL the bacteria and fungi. Now I'm questioning that and it doesn't make complete sense to me. |
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| The recommendation for peeling is because the peel is the source of the majority of the bacteria and other contaminants. Peeling removes as much as 80% of it. Peeling also improves the texture of the finished sauce. I was thinking that the processing times were set to kill ALL the bacteria and fungi. That is an over statement. No form of cooking can kill all bacteria. Canned food isn't sterilized just as the air around us or any other food we eat isn't sterile. But it is safe to eat. While BWB processing does kill some bacteria only pressure canning reaches high enough temps over time to kill most of the bacteria and fungi. With applesauce as well as other high acid foods it is the acidic pH that prevents the bacteria from reproducing, growing, or producing any toxins. It doesn't kill them, just prevents the toxins from developing and it is those toxins that are the risk. That is why they now recommend adding lemon juice to applesauce too. The BWB processing is just to force the air out of the jar and create a vacuum. Does that mean the applesauce made with the peels is unsafe to eat? No. Just that it will have a higher bacterial count than that made with peeled apples so its shelf life may be reduced and it might pose problems to those with compromised immune systems. So why start out with lots of bacteria in the sauce when you can easily remove the majority of it up front by peeling? Dave PS: if you want to continue to make it with the peels try cooking it less before milling it so less of the peel color is dispersed through the food. |
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- Posted by naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan (My Page) on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 7:56
| Thanks for the explanation, Dave. It makes more sense now that I see where my science was wrong. I'll be thinking differently and relying less on the food mill now. |
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| Mix a few strawberries or raspberries into the sauce. Gives it a nice pink color and a little different flavor. Or, pick up a few red-skinned apples and add to the mix. Deanna |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 10:38
| It used to be that you didn't peel, because that was where a lot of the vitamins/nutrients were (according to sayings), now you peel. I wash mine very carefully and rinse several times before I use them. Plus most of my stuff come from people that are not 'certified organic', but chemically aware. Just my thoughts. |
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