I wrote a big long thing yesterday am and could not get it to post. About what, I can;t recall...
Plums: I've had over a 100# of plums from 2 trees this year ( Greengage and Mt Royal, both "European" plums which pollinate better here). When my neighbors walk by, I shout,"Hey, you've forgotten your plums again!" The seem more welcome than the floodtide of zucchini. I've canned them in 1:10 sugar:water,dried,jammed and frozen whole for use in sauces in the winter.
Shell beans/borlotti beans. These are the most beautiful red and cream striped beans grown for the fresh shelled bean-- delicious! Shelling them is a spiritual experience best performed out of doors, under an apple tree, with your chickens mulling about. i cooked them for about 20 minutes in water with herbs, then plopped them into a fresh tomato sauce I was cooking with garlic, fresh corn, basil and simmered another 10 min. Ate some over polenta and will freeze the rest. Heaven!
Beach plums: These are small purple fruits which grow on small shrubs native to the northeast. I planted mine ( Fedco Trees) some years ago; they don't bear heavily every year and this year was lighter. I freeze the pulp after using a cherrystone remover on them, or jam them, or hot sauce them.
Applesauce: Leakage issue-- do you have 2 inches of water over the jars? The pressure from that helps keep the leaking minimal, I think. Also, try removing some air with a plastic rod before putting the lid on, if you don't already. I don't do this except for applesauce, seems to help.