You can add cinnamon, nutmeg or other spices and sugar to taste. There are no safety issues. Just keep in mind that too much will turn bitter on the shelf.

Make a note of how much you add this year and then adjust accordingly next canning season.

Carol

Odd, but I add cinnamon to Apple Butter, not to applesauce. I like my sauce a little on the tart side and rarely even add sugar.

But this one is from U of Illinois extension if you are looking for an extension office recipe:

Applesauce will vary in texture and flavor depending on the variety of apple used. All-purpose apples such as Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Fuji and Jonagold (as well as many others) produce good results.

8 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
1/2 cup water
2 lemon slices
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine apples, water and lemon slices in a large saucepan. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until apples are part sauce and with some chunks of apple left. Watch closely and stir often to prevent burning. Applesauce should be thick; add more water if necessary. Leave sauce chunky or put apples and lemons through a food mill or coarse sieve. Stir in sugar to desired sweetness. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve warm or chilled. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to one week. Yield 5 to 6 cups.

To make unsweetened applesauce: omit added sugar and select a naturally sweet variety such as Golden Delicious, Red Delicious or Gala.

To Freeze: Increase spices to twice the indicated amount, as they lose flavor during freezing. Refrigerate until chilled. Pack cool applesauce into rigid freezer containers to within 1/2-inch from the top and seal. Use a container size suitable for your family's needs. To use: thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in cold water for 3 hours. Can be frozen for up to one year at 0ðF.

To Can: Pack hot applesauce into clean standard canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with 2 piece canning lid and screw band. Process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove jars, cool, check seals, label and date. Store sealed jars away from sunlight in a cool, dry place for up to one year.

I saw that document. It looks like it hasn't been updated. Pints are now processed 15 minutes, quarts 20 for BWB.

Below is the link to current processing times for both PC and BWB.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: How to can applesauce

Carol, thank you for catching that, I would have guessed all extension websites were fully updated and didn't notice. Live and learn.

You can add things like nutmeg, cinnamon, etc, according to your taste. They should have no bearing on safety issues.

About Cinnamon: I personally don't like powdered cinnamon. One, it has very little flavor. Two, probably no genuine cinnamon. And 3; it makes everything look like murky, muddy. So I prefer cinnamon stick. After I am done cooking, I just discard them.

Extension websites are wonderful resources but I've learned to double-check things such as date of most recent revision (when available on the document) and processing times.

It's a sad fact that with reductions in budget and staff this is one of the areas that often is neglected by Extension services.

Carol

Thank you so much for all the replies! I'll be making applesauce tomorrow!