I Can… Apple Pie

Back in the fall, I got really excited about local apples.  My husband humored me, saying we could make apple pie filling.  He was thinking the kind that you put in the freezer.  But our freezer is always full of frozen fruit, meat, chicken stock, and leftovers.  I don't have space for something I know I can keep on a shelf.  A friend of mine had made canned peach pie filling.  Apple was clearly doable.  I found a recipe online, and so we hauled out my canning supplies one more time.  Sadly, I don't remember where I found the recipe I used; I thought the blogger was delightful.  Luckily, I found a similar recipe again on All Recipes.

Canned Apple Pie Filling

1 bushel apples

4 1/2 C sugar

1 C cornstarch

Cinnamon

Nutmeg
Ginger

2 tsp kosher or canning salt

10 C water

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Wash your quart-sized canning jars (you'll need about 7).  Peel, core, and chop the apples as you like for pie.  Pack them into 1-quart jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace on top.  This is about the time I panic and have to run to the store because I simply do not have enough jars.  Now, make syrup!  In a large stockpot, combine the sugar, cornstarch, spices (to taste--dried spices aren't going to mess up your preservation chemistry), salt, and water.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened and bubbly.  I also threw in some of the apple cores, to infuse a little extra apple flavor.  When thick and bubbly, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.  For once, DO NOT use fresh lemon juice.  The pH can vary, and you need control when preserving.  Pour or ladle the syrup over the apple chunks in the jars.  I ended up ladling some in each jar, letting it settle while I filled the others, and re-filling.  You want to get the jar completely full and get out as much air as possible.  Use a knife or cake tester to help fill the tiny crevices.  Wipe the rims clean, place the lids on top, and put on the rims to "finger tightness".  Bring your canning bath to a boil, and process the jars for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely without messing with the jars.  After they are completely cool, tighten the rims and clean up the jars as you feel necessary.

To make pie, pour 1 quart of pie filling into an unbaked pie crust.  Top with a second crust if desired, sprinkle with a bit of sugar, and bake for 30 minutes at 400˚ F.  Alternately, bake without a second crust, and top with a caramel sauce, as pictured here.

This is really yummy, actually.  I've made it with a lattice top as well as the caramel pictured above.  I've gifted it to a couple people, and they really enjoyed it, too.  I liked that I still had control over the spices-- I went heavier on the cinnamon, lighter on the ginger and nutmeg.  I had some leftover syrup from that, which is GREAT on peanut butter toast.  The blog I adapted my recipe from recommended it on waffles.  Plus, I have a friend who likes pie filling more than pie-- this is a great thing for someone like her.  

This did get a little messy, which was frustrating.  The filling oozed out during processing, and so I wound up with a teensy bit of mold under the rims.  (The jars still sealed properly, so there wasn't anything under the seal/ in the jar.  Just on the threads of the rim.)  Which isn't really a big deal to me, because I unscrew the rim, clean it up, and I'm good to go, but it made me a little reluctant to share with some people, because it looks… gross.  Still, better to deal with that than to dislodge the seal immediately after canning.  And the filling in the jar really is wonderful.