Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Apple Pie Filling

Thanksgiving ... It's full of family gatherings-which means family photos, shopping and food. Lots of home-made, fattening and delicious food... Ugh! I'll admit it, I always eat way too much, spend way too much and then look back bitterly at my "fat" Thanksgiving pictures. But, that said... I still love it. However, I do enjoy it a lot more when I'm able to free myself from the kitchen for a few hours at least and enjoy some family time instead of a grueling baking marathon. This apple pie filling really helps out in that department. I can whip out an apple pie in a mere 20 minutes with this stuff! (To my detriment...)

Apple Pie Filling
(yields about 3 quarts)
6 pounds apples
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Wash, peel, core and slice apples. Treat to prevent darkening if desired. (Personally, I don't bother- I'm smothering these babies in sugar and cinnamon anyway... they're going to darken!) Combine sugar, flour and spices. Rinse and drain apples; stir into sugar mixture. Let stand until juices begin to flow, about 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.
 At this point if you are freezing the pie filling: Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Ladle pie filling into plastic freezer jars or plastic freezer containers, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature, not to exceed 2 hours. Seal, label and freeze.
To bottle pie filling: Cook over medium heat just until mixture begins to thicken. Ladle filling into hot quart size jars leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 35 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Each quart jar will fill a 9-inch pie shell.

No comments: