As far as I know it is only required if using windfall apples. The NCHFP recipe for regular applesauce does not require acidification but the addition of bottled lemon juice is called for if using ground gleanings, windfalls, or overly ripe/damaged fruit.

But please note the when acidification is required it must be either citric acid or bottled lemon juice and that Fruit Fresh doesn't meet the requirement as it is ascorbic acid, not citric acid and provides no added acidification to the sauce.

Dave

Fruit Fresh, ascorbic, is only used for retaining color and preventing oxidation and darkening of the appples. In another post I mentioned adding a little apple cider vinegar as an added acid if you are wanting to give it a bit of sour.

The new Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving does call for it (as does Bernardin in Canada) but as Dave said, it's only necessary with windfall apples. Bruised apples have a higher pH. So the main issue is to use quality apples and then you don't have to worry about it. The NCHFP does not require lemon juice.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Applesauce

The new Ball Complete Book is also a Canadian publication. Here in the US we are not saying to add any bottled lemon juice or citric acid. I emailed Elizabeth Andress at NCFHFP about it.

gran2 - I'm not an expert...far from it, but I did just can applesauce today! Being a newbie, I followed the recommendations exactly on the amount of lemon juice to add. We had some tonight for supper and no one noticed a thing.

With my picky family....I'm not telling them either!

Val

you might want to read this thread from last year ... it includes an email from Dr. Andress and two emails from Ball

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg1008000620695.html

Also note that Ball sez to use lemon juice (not bottled) and gives the reasons

Using real lemons for juice is not an option for me so I'm hoping bottled is okay.

Val

Bottled is what is recommended, not fresh. All of the testing is done with only bottled lemon juice - NCHFP even gives the preferred brandname ReaLemon - and only bottled juice has a stabilized pH.

But, since it isn't required (yet anyway) you can likely use whichever you want. ;)

Dave

I made a batch of applesauce last weekend for fresh to test a recipe for flavor before I make up a batch for canning this week. The apples I bought turned out to be a lot sweeter than I liked (probably a few weeks from when they were picked so had ripened more than I'd've liked for sauce). So I added citric acid to the sauce and it tarted it up nicely. When I go to can this week, I will be following the new guidelines for acid because I would think older apples would have higher pH. But will not use lemon juice. I don't care for the flavor. The citric acid would help the pH as well as the tartness without adding lemon flavor. The substitute is 1T lemon juice = 1/4t citric acid. (And since I like a little tartness, I use a tad more CA in the mix...) Hope this helps.
Kris

I like using an acid blend of 33% each of citric, malic, and tarteric. These are comon fruit acids and each offer the same acidity as citric alone. The product is white and granular too, just like citric. I use it in many jellies and jams as well as a few shakes in my no sugar added fruit drinks that lack 'character'. The blend can be bought through many beer and wine making supplies companies. Its used in making an otherwise bland wine into one that you just cant get enough of. Once apples are overripe, they tend to get dry and mealy, and then spoil.

thx for the comments, and for Val's experience. We like sweet sauce, not so tart, and I use red hots most of the time, except for the transparent apples. Most of our apples are windfall (I have to wait for them to come down, just not tall enough to pick!), so I guess I'll have to be more careful. Always learnign!

They do make pole devices that can reach up and pick fruits while they drop into a basket thats also attached. I prune my trees so much that the tallest limbs are still reachable even without a ladder. This year the two big apples, and the peach/plum/apricot got some serious pruning, and I cut them all down to 10 foot tall maximum. Red hots are nice with apples if you like that strong hot cinnamon taste.

Ken - you never cease to amaze me. When do you have the time for all of this? I can't even find time to monitor this forum as much as I'd like!

BTW, hope you're feeling better.

Its been a battle to say the least. My garden took the whole summer, and has finally been taken out as of a week ago. Tractor and gas grill are in the shed for the winter. Changed the old paper liners in my orchard mason bee area. We had a few mild days so I sprayed my fruit trees with an Eco oil spray to kill overwintering bugs. Added a soil acidifier to my 25+ blueberry bushes. Next spring before blossoms the fruit trees get another dose of oil/lime/sulfur spray. Planted Music garlic again, shallots, and onions. Picked my sage and some of the thyme to dry out. Harvested about 30 saffron crocus blossoms for their stigmas. Put out the six different bird feeders and the birds are back again with even more coming. I go through 300 pounds of seeds per winter. Now, its back to fixing 30 Gateway Profile 4 all in one computers, their broken power supplies and some burned out LCD inverter boards. I do board level repairs on PCs, and plan to build up a newer faster system soon. Believe it or not, I still run Windows 98 here! my old system is getting bad and more web sites don't work with it anymore due to old browser software I cant replace.
For my health, its been a battle and I am swelled up in tyhe face from having to take prednisone. I have oxygen here too, but hate using it as its just too much to haul heavy tanks around, and the long hoses get caught in everything. The doctor said I was doing a lot better even though I stil get very winded just climbing a few stairs. His concern was the lack of oxygen, but my lungs seem to be able to deal with the hard breathing now, but back in August, the oxy level would drop below 80 after just a few steps. I see 5 diferet doctors now, and 22 meds per day. Got my will ready and filed it at the probate court in my county. Next comes a ton of hospital bills that I can't afford to pay, even though Medicare pays some. I renamed it MediKILL instead.I'm still hanging in there at least..

Here is a link that might be useful: Apple picker pole