Making your own apple pie filling is a rewarding endeavor that not only fills your kitchen with the delightful aroma of cooking apples but also provides you with a delicious, ready-to-use ingredient for pies, pastries, and more. This homemade apple pie filling recipe offers a perfect blend of sweetness and spice, and canning it allows you to enjoy the flavors of fall any time of the year.
Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling
Whether you’re an experienced canner or new to preserving, this apple pie filling is straightforward and yields wonderful results. With a combination of fresh apples, spices, and a thick syrup, this recipe is ideal for anyone looking to capture the essence of homemade apple pie in a jar.
Use it for traditional apple pies, as a topping for ice cream, or even incorporate it into breakfast dishes like pancakes and oatmeal. Enjoy the satisfaction of creating something delicious and practical from scratch!
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Canning Time: 25 minutes
Serving: Makes about 2 quarts
Equipment: Large pot, quart jars, canning bath, knife
Ingredients:
- 5 apples
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
- Prepare the Apples: Core, peel, and slice the apples. Place them in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch. Remove from the water and keep them hot.
- Make the Syrup: In a separate pot, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, apple juice, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly. Be careful to let it barely reach a full boil to avoid burning.
- Fill the Jars: Alternately layer the hot apples and the thickened syrup in sterilized quart jars, leaving about 1/2-inch headspace at the top. Use a knife to run down the sides of the jars to remove any air bubbles.
- Add More Apples and Syrup: After removing air bubbles, top off the jars with more apples and syrup if necessary to maintain the proper headspace.
- Process the Jars: Cap the jars with their lids and rings. Place them in a canning bath with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 25 minutes.
- Cooling: After processing, remove the jars from the water bath and let them cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals and store in a cool, dark place.
This homemade apple pie filling not only saves you time when baking your favorite desserts but also brings a touch of home-cooked excellence to your dishes.