Homemade Apple Pie Filling
Homemade Apple Pie Filling
Welcome to Apple Fest Week. This week it’s all about Apples, Apples and more Apples!! To kick off the Apple Season, why not make Homemade Apple Pie Filling. Can’t you just smell the apples and cinnamon in the air. Apple Pie Filling is really not difficult at all to make and the taste and texture of homemade Apple Pie Filling doesn’t even compare to canned.
Don’t get me wrong, I like canned apple pie filling and use canned in certain recipes but Homemade Apple Pie Filling is the Crème de la Crème of apple pie filling. Once you make your own apple pie filling and start using homemade in recipes, you’ll never go back to canned. You can pick your own apples, buy them at any apple orchard already picked for you, buy apples at a farmers market or buy your apples at a grocery store.
It’s all about the Apples
You want flavorful, aromatic and firm apples, avoid apples that are to soft. Always use a mixture of apples, never just one type of apple. Choose apples that are naturally sweet and tart…varieties such as: Bramley, Cox Pippin, Fuji, McIntosh, Winesap, Jonagold, Rome, Cameo, Jonathon, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp, and Pink Lady. Choose apples that you and your family like, after all, if you like the apples, you will no doubt love the apple pie filling!
This recipe calls for Clear-Jel
Clear-Jel is a corn-starch that has been modified to give special and unique characteristics when used in food products. It is preferred for thickening canned pie filling as well as other foods, over other corn-starches because is has less or no aftertaste, the thickened juices are smooth and clear, foods thickened with Clear-Jel can be frozen and Clear-Jel thickens quickly.
Homemade Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 6 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup clear-jel
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 1/2 cups cold water
- 5 cups apple juice
- 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
Instructions
- Sterilize Jars in one of three ways:
- In the dishwasher. Washed in soapy water, rinsed and boiling the jars for 10 minutes in water and then keep jars in hot water until needed, or In the oven.
- Peel Apples:
- Use an apple peeler or peel apples by hand. Remove stems, seeds, and any brown spots.
- Slice apples using an apple slicer or slice by hand.
- Blanch Apples:
- Place sliced apples, 1 quart at a time, in a large pot with at least 1 gallon of boiling water. Boil each batch for 1 minute, after the water returns to a boil..remember your only blanching the apples. Keep the hot apples in a covered bowl or pot. Set aside.
- Make Filling:
- Combine the sugar and spices in a large pot with the apple juice and water.
- Mix the Clear-Jel with the lemon juice and add this to the juice mixture in the pot. Boil 1 minute on medium heat, stirring constantly, just until it starts to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat. It should be thick but still able to flow.
- Fill Jars:
- As the liquid is now very thick, it won't easily flow, so you will need to fill the jars by alternating layers of liquid, then apple slices, then liquid, until the jars are full to 1 inch below the top.
- After each layer, use a spoon to press down to fill any air spaces.
- Gently jostle the jars and lightly press the slices down to help settle the slices in the jar and fill any air spaces.
- Wipe any spilled apple pie filling off the jar tops, seat the lid and tighten the ring, you will need 1 inch of headspace per jar. Put jars in canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of boiling water.
- Boil for 25 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping each other overnight. Make sure the jars are completely sealed and store jars in your pantry until ready to use.
For More Information:
All information is from the fantastic website called: Pick Your Own. Pick Your Own has everything you need, from where to pick apples…in every state, from directions on how to make any kind of pie filling to how to make jams and jellies…..plus so much more!!!
Baked Apples are super duper delicious. This recipe for baked apples will put your mom’s baked apples to shame:)