Canned Apple Pie Filling

Use in apple pies, apple crisp, as a topping for pancakes/waffles, in a yogurt parfait with granola or heated up in a bowl with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Recipe adapted from Ball’s “Complete Book of Home Preserving”. ClearJel® (NOT to be confused with Sure-Jell) is a corn starch that has been modified to give it special and unique characteristics when used in food products. From USDA: It can be used for canned fruit pie fillings because it does not break down in the acid food mixtures and does not thicken enough during heat processing to interfere with the intended effect of the heat on killing bacteria during canning. It is preferred for thickening canned pie fillings as well as other foods over other corn starches because it has less or no aftertaste, the thickened juices are smooth and clear, and foods thickened with ClearJel® may be frozen."

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 7 pints

Ingredients

• 12  cups  sliced peeled cored apples, sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat
• 2 3⁄4 cups granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 cup  Clear Jel
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1⁄2 cups  unsweetened apple juice
• 1 1⁄4 cups cold water
• 1⁄2 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat (7 each) pint glass preserving jars with lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2. Combine sugar, ClearJel, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large stainless steel saucepan. Stir in apple juice and cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
3. Add lemon juice, return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain apple slices and immediately fold into hot mixture. Before processing, heat, stirring, until apples are heated through.
4. Ladle hot pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
5. Process jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.