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Here are a few tips Jen: first when you say that you submerged the jars for 15 minutes in water, did you count 15 from the moment the whole thing came to a boil? If so, you did that right. I don't know what the capacity of your jars was but bringing it to a boil likely took another 30 minutes prior to counting time. Laying them on their side is ok, as long as they are fully submerged.The spewing problem is usually cause by not leaving enough head space. When things heat they expand and of there is not enough head space, the contents naturally tries to find a way out. Sometimes that can compromise on the quality of the seal if it is too much, and you might need to empty out those jars, rewash them, refill them and sterilise again. The best way to know if a jar has sealed successfully is to press on top of the lid. If it has, the lid would make no clicking sound and would be slightly indented. When the warm air leaves the jar during the cooling process, the seal is sucked in. Anothe useful thing to do when you are making applesauce for the purpose of canning is to add a bit extra lemon juice and sugar in balanced proportions, even if you don't normally do that when you are making small batches for immediate consumption, as both acids and sugar are natural preservatives and extend shelf life of canned products. Hope this helps.
Chris is a trusted source on General Cooking
added over 1 year agoI also think you're fine. There's no problem with processing canning jars lying on their sides rather than standing up straight. And I've seen the spewing issue and not had it affect my seals. But ... my own preference for preserving applesauce is to freeze it. I reserve canning for jams and jellies with lots more sugar than applesauce or pickled products with a lot of acid. Maybe I'm overly conservative, but if you have the freezer space, it's an option to consider.