Recipe: Apple Pie Filling (Canned)

I have a couple apples.

Still have these leftover...

And these...

Prepare for some apple recipes!

Apple pies and other apple desserts are simple with this canned apple pie filling.  It's thickened with Clear-Jel, which is what is recommended for canning of pie filling and the like.  I got mine from King Arthur Flour.  As a warning, this recipe uses nearly an entire bag of it.

Each quart makes about enough for a 9" pie, so all you have to do is open a jar, pour it in, and bake!  I can't wait to make pies!

I've also had problems with runny apple pies in the past, and the clear-jel ought to fix that with no problem.


Apple Pie Filling (Canned)

6 quarts apples
Fruit Fresh or Ascorbic Acid
2 1/2 c sugar (to taste)
1 1/2 c Clear-Jel
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 c cold water
5 c unsweetened apple juice
3/4 c lemon juice

You could use an apple-peeler-corer-slicer machine...

Unless your apples look like mine... in that case, you're stuck with a peeler and a knife.

Peel, core, and chop apples (I saved my peels and cores for another use).  Put in a large bowl or pot and soak in some water with Fruit Fresh stirred in - you'll want enough liquid to soak the apple pieces to keep them from discoloring.

Blanching

Boil a large pot of water.  Blanch the apples in small batches, 1 minute at a time, and drain.

Goopy... mmmmm.

Combine the sugar, water, juice, spices, and clear-jel in a large pot.  Heat and stir until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.  Stir in the lemon juice and boil for an additional minute.  Fold in the drained apples.

Turn off heat, and immediately fill hot canning jars with mixture, leaving a 1-inch headspace.  Use a damp paper towel to wipe off rims of the jars. Add hot lids and rings and tighten to just finger tight. Process immediately in a water bath for 25 minutes.  As they cool, the lids should "pop" with vacuum.  If they do not, you can re-process the jars.