Okay you guys, can we speak about how this Amish canned apple pie filling recipe has fully taken over my total autumn?! Like, I found it a few years in the past and I’ve not regarded again since. Each single apple season, I’m IN the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, making batch after batch of essentially the most beautiful, spiced apple filling you have got ever seen in your life. It smells like a comfortable dream in right here, I actually can’t even. If in case you have been eager to inventory your pantry with one thing actually particular — one thing that tastes selfmade and magical and nothing just like the stuff from the grocery retailer — that is completely the recipe for you. Let’s get into it! 🍎

Why You Want This Amish Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe in Your Life

I’m going to be actual with you. The primary time I made my very own canned pie filling, I used to be equal components terrified and wildly excited. However right here’s the factor — when you style these items, you’ll by no means return to a store-bought can once more. This Amish-style recipe is an effective way to protect all these beautiful contemporary apples out of your apple harvest, and the flavour is simply OUT OF THIS WORLD. We’re speaking heat cinnamon, completely sweetened, tender sliced apples in a thick, dreamy sauce. Be nonetheless my coronary heart! 😍 Whether or not you’re popping open a jar for a straightforward apple pie on a random Tuesday, or pulling one off the pantry shelf for the vacations, having quarts of pie filling on the prepared is such a recreation changer. It’s cozy, it’s sensible, and actually? It makes you are feeling like a complete homesteading queen. I’m obsessed and you can be too.

The Secret Ingredient: Clear Jel

Okay, let’s discuss concerning the one ingredient that makes this complete recipe work: Clear Jel! Should you haven’t heard of it, Clear Jel (additionally spelled clear gel) is a modified meals starch — particularly a modified corn starch — that’s accepted by the Nationwide Heart for residence meals preservation to be used in canned pie fillings. And right here’s why it issues: common corn starch and certain jell will truly break down through the canning course of, leaving you with a watery, unhappy mess. No thanks! Clear Jel holds up fantastically by the warmth, providing you with that thick, shiny, beautiful filling each single time. It’s NOT the identical as modified meals starch you would possibly seize at a random grocery retailer — you sometimes have to order it on-line or test amish shops in your space. It sounds fancy, however belief me, after getting it in your pantry, you’ll use it in all the brand new recipes you strive. That is the non-negotiable ingredient, buddies. Don’t skip it! 🙌

Selecting the Greatest Apples for Your Filling

Not all apples are created equal, you guys! For the perfect canned apple pie filling, you actually desire a good crisp apple that holds its form when cooked. My absolute favorites? Granny Smith apples, arms down. They’re tart, agency, they usually keep completely tender with out turning to mush. Pink Girl and Fuji apples are additionally SO good — barely sweeter, nonetheless good and crisp, they usually maintain up fantastically. I normally like to combine a few varieties for complexity, as a result of extra taste = extra happiness, clearly! 😄 While you’re desirous about what number of apples you want — count on to peel and slice apples from roughly 12 to 14 kilos of apples to fill about seven quart jars of filling. That feels like quite a lot of apples, I do know! However when you style the end result, you’ll want you had made a second batch. When it’s time of 12 months for the apple harvest, seize as many as you possibly can and go completely wild. Personal your apples. Personal your pie filling. That’s the vibe.

Tools You’ll Wish to Have on Hand

Let’s chat provides, as a result of being prepped is the whole lot! First, you’re going to need an apple peeler — the sort that cranks and cores and slices all of sudden. Truthfully, the toughest a part of this complete recipe is prepping all these apple slices, and that little gadget makes it SO a lot sooner. You’ll additionally want a big pot for cooking your apple combination, a big bowl for holding your apple slices, canning jars (I like quart jars for pie filling, however pint jars work too!), screw bands, and a water bathtub canner or boiling water canner. A strain canner is NOT wanted for this recipe — the water bathtub methodology is completely secure and ideal right here. Additionally seize some paper towel and clear cloths for wiping the tops of the jars earlier than sealing. And a bubble remover instrument (and even only a butter knife!) to eliminate any air bubbles earlier than you set the lids on. Having the whole lot arrange earlier than you begin is really the very first thing I’d advocate. Mise en place, child! 👩‍🍳

The way to Make the Filling (the Enjoyable Half!)

Right here’s the essential circulate, and it’s SO satisfying! You’ll combine sugar — a mixture of white sugar and brown sugar offers essentially the most stunning depth of taste — along with your Clear Jel, spices, and chilly water and apple juice in a big pot over medium warmth. Stir all of it collectively and let it thicken up into this insanely shiny sauce. Then you definately’ll add your contemporary apple slices and lemon juice (tremendous vital for each taste and meals security!) and stir the whole lot collectively. The lemon juice retains your apple slices from browning AND helps with acidity for secure canning. Your complete kitchen goes to scent completely unimaginable at this level — heat spice, candy apples, pure heaven! 🍏 As soon as the apple combination is scorching and lovely, ladle it into scorching jars, leaving about one inch headspace (additionally typically known as inch head house), take away air bubbles, wipe the tops of the jars clear, and course of them in your water bathtub canner. Straightforward, proper? That is a type of canning recipes I make each single 12 months with out fail.

Processing Occasions and Security Suggestions

Okay, security chat — I promise it gained’t be boring! The processing time for quart jars of this filling in a boiling water canner is often 25 minutes at sea degree. Should you reside at the next altitude, you’ll want to regulate your processing time accordingly — the Nationwide Heart for Dwelling Meals Preservation has nice altitude adjustment charts for those who want them! All the time begin your timer as soon as the boiling water canner involves a full rolling boil with the new jars inside. Use scorching water to fill your canner and ensure jars are totally submerged. After processing, let the jars cool fully at room temperature — no direct daylight, no drafts. You’ll hear that magical *pop* of lids sealing and it’s the BEST sound in the whole world, I’m telling you. Examine that every one the lids have sealed earlier than storing. Any jars that didn’t seal go straight to the fridge and get used first. Security first, scrumptious pie second! 😉

All of the Scrumptious Methods to Use Your Canned Apple Pie Filling

Oh my goodness, let me COUNT the methods! The obvious is a basic selfmade apple pie — simply pop open a jar, pour it into your pie shell, add a high crust (perhaps brush it with an egg wash for that golden brown end!), and bake away. Should you want pie inspiration, I like this Paula Deen Apple Pie with a Crunchy Prime — the filling from this recipe works completely in it! You can even make a shocking dutch apple pie with a crumble topping as an alternative of a pie crust. Or use it to make a fry pie — these little Amish hand pies are INSANE. Serve it heat over ice cream for the best, most dreamy dessert. Stir it into oatmeal. Spoon it over pancakes. Use it as a topping for a cheese board (sure, actually!). And for the vacations, try this wonderful roundup of Scrumptious Vacation Pies — having this filling prepped and prepared makes these recipes even simpler! The chances are actually countless. 🥧

Useful Suggestions for First-Time Canners

If that is your first time canning — welcome to the membership, it’s so enjoyable and I promise you are able to do this!! Just a few tricks to set you up for achievement: don’t skip the Clear Jel and substitute common corn starch — it gained’t work the identical and meals security issues! Don’t add an excessive amount of spice, as a result of quite a lot of spice can really feel overwhelming after the filling sits and the flavors develop over time. Label your jars with the date so you realize what’s oldest in your pantry shelf. This recipe can also be naturally gluten-free, which is superior for these of you on the lookout for gluten-free recipes so as to add to your rotation! Yet another factor — this recipe is NOT the identical as making apple sauce or apple butter, so don’t attempt to deal with it like these recipes. The starch content material is completely different and the processing methodology issues. Should you love Honey Apple Pie, simply wait till you strive making it along with your very personal selfmade scrumptious apple pie filling. It’s actually an awesome recipe and one I like to recommend to each single individual I do know who likes to bake. No meals coloring wanted — the pure apple magnificence speaks for itself! 🍎❤️

Often Requested Questions About This Recipe

Just a few fast questions I get on a regular basis! Can I take advantage of this filling for peach pie filling too? I imply, technically you might adapt the strategy, however for peach pie filling you’d observe a particular peach recipe — similar goes for cherry pie filling. Can I take advantage of a pastry cutter to make a selfmade pie crust to go along with this? Completely sure and actually, selfmade pie crust is the MOVE. 🥐 Can I make a smaller batch? Sure! You may completely do a primary batch small to try it out, then do an even bigger lot of labor second batch when you’re comfy. What about pint jars as an alternative of quart jars? Pint jars work wonderful, simply modify processing time. And at last — this recipe retains on the pantry shelf for as much as a 12 months when correctly sealed and saved away from direct daylight. This Amish canned apple pie filling recipe is really the reward that retains on giving, and actually, it would simply be my single favourite factor I make yearly. Get into it, I can’t wait so that you can strive it! Should you love this, additionally try Why and The way to Sweat Apples for Pie for much more apple pie ideas! 🎉🍏

Amish Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Yield:
7 Servings

Prep Time:
1 hour

Cook dinner Time:
40 minutes

Cooling Time:
1 day

Whole Time:
1 day 1 hour 40 minutes

This old school Amish-style canned apple pie filling captures the easiest of apple season in a jar, so you possibly can get pleasure from heat, selfmade pie all 12 months lengthy. Tender apple slices are coated in a superbly spiced, shiny syrup made with Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bottled lemon juice — then preserved utilizing USDA-approved water bathtub canning strategies for secure, long-lasting outcomes.

Components

For the Apple Slices

• 12 to 13 kilos of agency apples (about 20 to 22 medium apples)

For the Syrup

• 5½ cups granulated white sugar
• 1½ cups Clear Jel (cook-type)
• 1 tablespoon floor cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon floor nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon floor allspice (non-compulsory however provides beautiful depth)
• 2½ cups chilly water
• 5 cups unsweetened apple juice or apple cider
• ¾ cup bottled lemon juice (all the time use bottled for constant acidity in canning)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (non-compulsory)

Directions

1. Wash your 7 quart jars in scorching soapy water, rinse completely, and maintain scorching till able to fill. Place new lids in a bowl of scorching (not boiling) water. Fill your water bathtub canner midway with water and start heating it.
2. Wash, peel, core, and slice apples into uniform ½-inch-thick slices. To forestall browning, drop slices into chilly water with a splash of lemon juice or fruit contemporary answer as you’re employed.
3. Blanch apple slices in boiling water for 1 minute. Take away with a slotted spoon, maintain heat, and canopy when you put together the syrup.
4. In a big stainless-steel stockpot, whisk collectively the sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Step by step whisk within the chilly water and apple juice till clean and lump-free.
5. Cook dinner over medium-high warmth, stirring continuously, till the combination thickens and reaches a full effervescent boil all through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Stir within the bottled lemon juice and vanilla extract (if utilizing). Cook dinner for 1 extra minute, stirring continuously, then take away from warmth.
7. Gently fold the nice and cozy blanched apple slices into the new syrup, stirring rigorously to coat with out breaking the slices.
8. Place a canning funnel right into a scorching quart jar and ladle within the scorching apple filling, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Take away air bubbles with a skinny spatula, wipe the rim clear, and seal with a brand new lid and band fingertip-tight. Repeat for all 7 jars.
9. Decrease crammed jars into the new water bathtub canner, guaranteeing jars are lined by at the very least 1 to 2 inches of water. Carry to a full rolling boil.
10. Course of for 25 minutes at 0–1,000 ft elevation, half-hour at 1,001–3,000 ft, 35 minutes at 3,001–6,000 ft, or 40 minutes above 6,000 ft.
11. Flip off the warmth, take away the canner lid, and let jars relaxation undisturbed within the scorching water for five minutes. Take away jars with a jar lifter and place on a towel-lined floor at the very least 1 inch aside.
12. Enable jars to chill fully for 12 to 24 hours with out disturbing. Examine seals by urgent the middle of every lid — a correctly sealed lid will likely be agency and won’t flex. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use inside 2 weeks. Label and retailer sealed jars in a cool, darkish location for as much as 18 months.

Notes

Apple Varieties: Use agency apples akin to Golden Scrumptious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, or Cortland. Keep away from comfortable varieties like McIntosh, which may flip mushy throughout processing. A mixture of candy and tart apples yields the perfect taste.

Clear Jel is Required: Don’t substitute cornstarch, flour, or Prompt Clear Jel. Cook dinner-type Clear Jel is the one USDA-approved starch thickener secure for residence canning.

All the time Use Bottled Lemon Juice: Contemporary lemon juice has variable acidity; bottled lemon juice has standardized acidity wanted for secure canning.

Skinny-Trying Filling is Regular: Clear Jel continues to thicken because the jars cool. Your filling will attain its remaining consistency as soon as totally cooled.

Serving Suggestion: Pour one quart jar right into a 9-inch double-crust pie shell and bake at 425°F for 45 to 50 minutes for a basic apple pie. Additionally nice as a topping for crisps, crumbles, pancakes, waffles, and cheesecake.