Does anyone have the recipe for Home Canned Apple Pie Filling? I home can several things to help with our food budget. I have canned vegetables and meat. If there are other unique things to can, I would appreciate it, if you would share them on this forum. Thanks so much. I have learned so much from this forum.

-- Nadine Rogers (nrogers@lrionline.com), January 31, 2002

Answers

Here is a great recipe.

Apple Pie In A Jar

4 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup cornstarch 2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 10 cups water 3 tbsp. lemon juice

Peel and slice apples. Put apples in (about 8 to 10) quart jars, packing tightly. Cook first 5 ingredients until thick and bubbly, stirring often, then add lemon juice. This can be used for apple crisps as well as pies.

1 quart jar is enough for 1 pie.

-- Pat (hiddentreasuresfarm@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

I have the same receipe, and it is yummy! Be carefull not to fill the jars to full. I did and mine bubbled over even after I took them out of the canner. They all sealed and were okay. I canned mine in a pressure canner at 11 lbs. for 20 mins. I too can meat, fruit, veg. and jellies, but would also like unusal recipes. Thanks for any help.

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo02@yahoo.com), January 31, 2002.

I am going to try the above advice. Meanwhile, we just freeze 6 cups of apple slices for each pie, then use that when we want a pie. As we speak, there is an apple pie baking, and I am eager for it to be done. Two things that we feel important is that we mix at least 2 varities of apples into that 6 cups. 2nd is that pie crust made with lard is so far superior to the other "shortenings" that there is no comparison. I find Crisco to be useful as an over ball lubricant for black powder pistol shooting. Otherwise,it will only produce pie crust that will remind you of the crust that you will find in the commercial crusts from the supermarket. Yuck! If you need instructions as to how to render lard, e-mail direct. It's easy, and it is very, very good! Go make a wonderful pie! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 31, 2002.

Hi Nadine, Canning it great! When you put up pie filling you need to find some "Clear Jel". You can usually get it from health food store or sometimes your grocery store will order it. "Clear Jel" is a brand name and its a specially modified cornstarch that won't break down in the canning process or in storage (sometimes regular cornstarch will - very disappointing when you have worked so hard to get it in the jar). Here's a recipe that works great out of the USDA Home Canning and Preserving Book.

Wash, peel, and core enough pie apples to make 6 quarts. Slice into water containing ascorbic acid to prevent browning. (3000 mg. to one gallon water) Put apple slices 6 cups at a time in a gallon of boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after water returns to boil. Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine 5-1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1-1/2 cups Clear Jel, and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon in a large kettle with 2-1/2 cups cold water and 5 cups apple juice. If desired 1 teaspoon nutmeg may be added. Stir and cook on medium heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add 3/4 cup (a 1/4 c. more if apples lack tartness) of lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained apple slices immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process immediately. Pints or quarts 25 minutes. Adjust time for higher elevations.

That's the recipe out of the book. I think its a little bland so I like to add more cinnamon, a little ginger, some ground cloves, and I also include the nutmeg.

This pie filling works great for pie but it makes an even faster (for those nights when friends pop over unexpectedly) yummy apple crisp by making a mixture of brown sugar, a little flour, rolled oats (quick work best), cinnamon, vanilla and melted butter. Sorry I don't have amounts - I just sort of wing it every time - more sugar than flour, more oats than sugar, a bit of cinn and van and enough butter to make a crumbly topping, and spreading it over a jar or two of apple filling in a cake pan. Bake on 375 degrees until the apples bubble and the topping gets slightly browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream. It also works great for filling rolls (like cinnamon rolls).

Happy canning!

Sara Perry, Vashon Island , Washington

-- Sara Perry (JPerry1218@aol.com), January 31, 2002.

I have the exact measurement for the topping for apple crisp. 3/4 cups packed brown sugar, 1/2 cups quick oats (don't sub. old fashion oats),3/4 tsp. cinamon, 3/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 cup butter or marg. and 1/2 cup flour. Mix and crumble over top of apples. This is for a brownie size pan. I have always used this with fresh uncooked apples, and baked at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. I would think you would baked just as long with canned apples.

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo02@yahoo.com), January 31, 2002.

I've canned apple pie filling in the past but I found that it was mush by the time it was baked. I tried a new filling recipe this year, but haven't had the courage to bake a pie yet. Does anyone have a solution? How long do you bake your pie with canned filling? Thanks, Sherry

-- sherry (sherrylynn08@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.