<p>I think it worked because it cooked down for quite a while. I was worried at first whiff! No, I didn’t add the bourbon. I wasn’t sure how that would react to the rest of the ingredients and I wasn’t sure if we even had any. We keep the liquor on a high shelf that requires dragging a chair to look through, and I thought I’d just go with smoky this time. </p>
<p>eyemamom, Sorry to cast doubt on your safe canning methods! I used to make homemade applesauce fresh just for a meal by popping a few peeled and sliced apples in the microwave with some cider and cinnamon so we all got used to homemade applesauce, but now I can just pop open a canning jar!</p>
<p>I live near lots of apple orchards and the folks there always recommend Macoun apples. I usually get a half-bushel and cut the apples in half and cook them down. I don’t use any sugar–just add lemon juice. Once everything is cooked–I put it all through a food mill, which gets rid of all the skins, core, pits, etc. I don’t can–I just freeze the sauce in heavy duty freezer bags. The homemade sauce is so good that I rarely eat any commercially made sauce.</p>
<p>My closest pick your own orchard just started getting apples in last week but they were a type I had never heard of. My favorite mix is empire and golden delicious. I like to pick them myself. Our orchards have these cute little carts that bushel baskets fit on and you can wheel them right out.</p>
<p>I stopped by the hardware store today to buy some more jars, lids and labels and the woman at the register said this is their biggest year selling canning supplies in 10 years. I wonder if it’s just a really good fruit season or if this is becoming more in vogue.</p>
<p>Oh, I think it’s us! We’re just leading the resurgence!</p>
<p>I live down the street from a family-owned and run apple orchard with something like 40 varieties of apples, many heirloom varieties you will never see in a supermarket. The same family has owned the farm and lived in the house since 1814. It’s very special.</p>