Homemade Apple Pie Filling ... goes into the freezer

‘Tis the season—I’ve made a couple of batches of crabapple jelly and haven’t even come close to making a dent in the crabapples that fill just one tree. We’ve been enjoying peaches from a friend’s tree, and lots and lots of apples from our neighbor’s tree. I’ve made Old-Fashioned Applesauce, Rosy Applesauce, an apple dumpling dessert and just finished a big batch of Apple Pie Filling that I’ll turn into apple cobblers next week.

Apple Pie Filling     Makes about two 9x13” cobblers or two to three 8 or 9” pies

9 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

Lemon juice diluted with water (see step #1)

3 cups water

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and water solution (about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water, or more as needed and set aside; drain before adding apples to thickened mixture (step #5)
2. Pour 3 cups water into a Dutch oven or pot; set heat to medium.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg — be sure to mix well, otherwise cornstarch will clump when added to the hot water.
   
4. Add mixture to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
5. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

   

   Apples were just added to the syrup solution.

   

   Apples are cooked to the tender-crisp stage.

6. Cool for 30 minutes.
7. Use immediately or refrigerate for several days. Filling may also be frozen—ladle mixture into freezer containers, leaving ½” headspace.

Recipe without photos . . .

Apple Pie Filling     Makes about two 9x13” cobblers or two to three 8 or 9” pies

9 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

Lemon juice diluted with water (see step #1)

3 cups water

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and water solution (about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water, or more as needed and set aside; drain before adding apples to thickened mixture (step #5)
2. Pour 3 cups water into a Dutch oven or pot; set heat to medium.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg — be sure to mix well, otherwise cornstarch will clump when added to the hot water.
4. Add mixture to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Cool for 30 minutes.
7. Use immediately or refrigerate for several days. Filling may also be frozen—ladle mixture into freezer containers, leaving ½” headspace.