Apple Pie Filling - Canned or You Can Freeze It!

Sarah in New York's Note:

This is such a handy recipe to have during apple season! This filling is AMAZING! Just can a bunch of apple pie filling and those apple pies for Thanksgiving and Chrstmas will take you no time at all. Just make a crust and bake! It also works great for cobbler, or just heated up with some vanilla ice cream. Just a note: If you are baking an apple pie with this canned pie filling, bake it at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes. The apples are already cooked.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 6.0 quarts

• 6 lbs apples (tart work best)
• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 cups water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 drops yellow food coloring

Directions:

1. Steralize 6 quart jars if canning by washing them with soap and water and putting them in the oven at 215 degrees for a minimun of 15 minutes. They can stay in the oven until you are ready to take them out.
2. Peel, core and slice apples. (Leave slices about 1/2 inch thick).
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and salt in large pot.
4. Add water and cook on high heat, stirring frequently at first and then constantly until it boils. Let it boil for about a minute, at this point it should be nice and thick.
5. Stir in lemon juice and food coloring.
6. Pack apples in hot jars and fill jars with sauce just to the bottom rung of the mouth of the jar. I use a wooden spoon to push the apples down. DO NOT FILL THEM ANY HIGHER! THEY WILL EXPLODE!
7. Yes, it happened to me! :(.
8. Process jars in hot water bath for 20 minutes or freeze however you want to.

Reviews

[PaulaG]

I haven't made this in over 30 years until today. Used fresh orchard apples and apple pie spice. The sugar was reduced by 1/2 cup. The apples were carefully weighed and 6 lbs was not near enough to fill the jars. There was enough of the liquid to make 6 quart jars but several additional apples were needed. I used a clean knife blade to chase the air bubbles out. The flavor is awesome. I look forward to making apple cobblers this winter with the fruits of my labor. Thanks for posting this recipe,

[hbecky11]

Made this last night, it was so good my 4 year old son was sneaking some of the filling.

[dedemiami]

I was looking for a way to use up my huge apple crop last fall, so I decided to try making apple pie filling. This recipe is so easy and it turned out so yummy!! I'm down to my last quart jar:(
I too added a bit more of the spices (personal preference), and I'm looking forward to September so I can make this again. Thanks so much!!