A Perfect Project for the Day after Thanksgiving

After a wonderful trip to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving (more about that later), it was nice to be here at home today with "nothing" to do.  What better way to pass the day than by making applesauce?  :)

In the middle of the day, I paused to admire the steam rising from a bowl of fresh applesauce; but I didn't have much time to pause for other things because canning 35 quarts kept me hopping.  The kids were eager helpers, but there are still certain jobs in the applesauce-making process that I have not yet taught them to do, so making 35 quarts (we did 28 last time) was pushing me a little.  That's OK.  It's good to be pushed sometimes.  :)

Oddly, one of the jars in the third canner load broke!  :(  I only ever remember one jar--it happened to be peaches--breaking in the canner since I've been canning, but maybe I don't remember other times it happened.  In any case, it's a rare event, thankfully.  But today it happened, so it took a little extra time to clean that up, and it cut our yield to 34 quarts to be put in the cellar.  Well, 34 quarts canned...and 3 pints frozen...and a big bowl of applesauce in the refrigerator to eat tomorrow...and applesauce in all of our tummies tonight from our supper.  :)

It was a sweet and productive way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.

And I think I have some applesauce in my hair right now.  ;-)