Apple picking season often means ending up with more apples than you can eat fresh—a delicious problem to have! Thankfully, there are many ways to preserve apples so you can enjoy the flavor of fall long after the season ends. Whether your bounty comes from a weekend at the orchard or your own backyard tree, these methods will keep your apples fresh, flavorful, and ready to use for months.
1. Can Homemade Applesauce or Apple Butter
Canning is a classic preservation method, and applesauce is one of the easiest foods to can. Simply cook peeled, cored apple slices with a little water until soft, then mash or puree into sauce. Add cinnamon or keep it plain, then ladle into sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath. Properly canned applesauce can last up to 18 months.
For apple butter, cook applesauce slowly with sugar and spices until thick and caramel-brown. Spread on toast, serve with cheese, or gift in jars during the holidays. Using a mix of sweet and tart apples gives the best flavor for both sauces and butters.
2. Freeze Apple Pie Filling
Prepare apple pie filling now and freeze it for winter baking. Toss apple slices with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a thickener like flour or cornstarch. Freeze the mixture flat in freezer bags or shape it in a pie pan before freezing for easy transfer to a crust later. Frozen pie filling lasts 6–8 months and can be baked straight from frozen.
3. Dry Apple Slices
Dehydrating apples creates a sweet, chewy snack that can be stored for up to a year. Slice apples into rings, dip in lemon water to prevent browning, and dry in a food dehydrator or oven at low heat until leathery. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dark place. Sprinkle with cinnamon or apple pie spice before drying for extra flavor.
4. Freeze Apples for Smoothies or Baking
For a quick addition to smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods, freeze apple slices or cubes. Blanching isn’t necessary—just slice, soak briefly in lemon water, pat dry, and flash freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to freezer bags. Frozen apples keep for 6–9 months and work best in cooked recipes.
5. Press or Ferment into Cider
Transform apples into fresh cider by pressing or blending them and straining out the juice. Sweet cider can be refrigerated for a week, frozen for months, or fermented into hard cider. You can also pasteurize and can cider for shelf storage. For an extra project, try making apple cider vinegar or chutney with your surplus fruit.
Storage & Safety Tips for Preserving Apples
- Label everything with date and contents.
- Store canned goods in a cool, dark pantry.
- Keep dried apples in airtight containers.
- Freeze only in moisture-proof bags or containers.
- Follow tested recipes for safe canning, especially for pie fillings or low-sugar preserves.
By trying a few of these methods, you can extend apple season well into winter. Imagine baking a pie in January with frozen filling, topping pancakes with homemade apple butter in February, or sipping fresh cider by the fire. Preserving apples means you can bring the taste of autumn into your kitchen all year long.
