Apple Pie Filling - A Water Bath Food Preservation Recipe (2024)

Apple Pie Filling - A Water Bath Food Preservation Recipe (1)

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Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Apple Pie Filling - A Water Bath Food Preservation Recipe (2)

Who doesn’t love the comfort of warm apple pie seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg? This apple pie filling recipe is a great and easy way to make your favorite all-American dessert or save it for later in the year to bake with whenever you wish.

Home canning can be a daunting task, but this recipe is not so. I do it in a water bath canner, not a pressure canner, which can set your mind at ease. A few hours of hard work now will make it a joy when you bake your pies. You can also prep your ingredients the day before to save time for processing day.

Canning Equipment

Are you new to canning? Or do you need more materials? You can get everything you need to can your fresh garden-grown tomatoes all right here and through Amazon.

Please note that I don’t give complete directions for water bath canning. If you are a newbie water bath canner or presser canner, please learn the proper methods. Here is a list of reputable places to learn how to can:

Cost to make this recipe.

I calculated the cost of this canning recipe at about $10 or $2.49 per quart, which one quart typically fills up a pie crust.

As a homesteader, there are substantial savings by growing the apples yourself. It is typically why I can apple pie filling in the first place. This amount of apples can cost close to $10 itself. My homesteader’s cost is closer to $3.50 or $0.88 per quart.

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Apple Pie Filling - A Water Bath Food Preservation Recipe (3)

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Recipe adapted

This canning recipe was taken from Ball’s Fresh Preserving online website.All images and text are all my own and original to Vintage Mountain Homestead. Click here for more information about our home food preservation disclaimer.

Apple Pie Filling

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Ingredients

  • 5lbs.apples,peeled, cored, and sliced, 12 cups…[$6.45]
  • 2¾cupwhite granulated sugar,…[$0.80]
  • ¾cupClear Jel,…[$1.03]
  • 1tsp.ground cinnamon,…[$0.04]
  • 1tsp.Apple pie spice,…[$0.37]
  • 2½cupsapple juice,bottled…[$0.95]
  • 1¼cupscold water,…[$0]
  • ½cuplemon juice,bottled…[$0.31]

Instructions

  • Sterilize canning jars and lids. Prepare boiling water canner. Keep jars heated and warm until ready for use.
  • Blanch apple slices, working with 6 cups at a time, in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a covered bowl.
  • In a large stockpot, combine sugar, ClearJel®, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in apple juice and cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
  • Add lemon juice, return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain apple slices and immediately fold into hot mixture.
  • Spoon hot apple pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
  • Process jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
  • Label jars and store in an area with constant temperature.

Apple Pie Filling

Perfect homemade apple pie filling preserved with Clear Jel and in a water bath canner.

4.12 from 27 votes

Grow.Me Print Pin Add to Shopping List

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 day d

Total Time 1 day d 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Canning, Dessert, Homemade Ingredients

Cuisine American

Servings 4 quarts

Calories/Serving 1001 kcal

Cooking Methods

  • Water Bath Canner

  • Mason Jars, Lids, and Rings

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced, 12 cups…[$6.45]
  • cup white granulated sugar, …[$0.80]
  • ¾ cup Clear Jel, …[$1.03]
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, …[$0.04]
  • 1 tsp. Apple pie spice, …[$0.37]
  • cups apple juice, bottled…[$0.95]
  • cups cold water, …[$0]
  • ½ cup lemon juice, bottled…[$0.31]

Instructions

  • Sterilize canning jars and lids. Prepare boiling water canner. Keep jars heated and warm until ready for use.

  • Blanch 5 lbs. apples sliced, working with 6 cups at a time, in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a covered bowl.

  • In a large stockpot, combine 2¾ cup white granulated sugar, ¾ cup Clear Jel, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 tsp. Apple pie spice. Stir in 2½ cups apple juice and 1¼ cups cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.

  • Add ½ cup lemon juice, return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain apple slices and immediately fold into hot mixture.

  • Spoon hot apple pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

  • Process jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

  • Label jars and store in an area with constant temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 1001kcalCarbohydrates: 259gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 812mgFiber: 15gSugar: 212gVitamin A: 316IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg

Related

2022-10-26

Apple Pie Filling - A Water Bath Food Preservation Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long do you water bath apples when canning? ›

Process pint and quart jars of filled apples in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes (start timing when water returns to a boil).

Can you bake a pie in a water bath? ›

Baking a custard pie in a water bath helps to create a creamy and smooth texture in the custard filling. The gentle heat from the water bath prevents the custard from becoming grainy or developing a rubbery texture.

What is the best thickener for apple pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

Can you use cornstarch for canning pie filling? ›

Can you substitute tapioca, flour, or cornstarch for Clear Jel®? No, when canning pie filling, there is no substitute for Clear Jel®. Other thickeners like cornstarch clump when canning and may interfere with heat being able to reach throughout the jar.

Do you boil the water first for water bath canning? ›

Place lid on water bath canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Begin processing time. 8. Process in the boiling water for the time indicated in tested preserving recipe.

Are apples acidic enough for water bath canning? ›

Foods with a pH greater than 4.6 require pressure canning. When a food item is comprised solely or mainly of ingredients with a pH of 4.6 or lower, we refer to those food items as an acid food. Acid foods include apples, peaches, strawberries,lemons and most other fruits.

Should you bake in a water bath with hot or cold water? ›

In the baths that started with boiling water, not only did both desserts cook the fastest but these samples had a smoother, more uniform texture. The desserts baked in baths that started with ice water did not cook uniformly; the bottom half was perfectly done while the top half was overcooked.

Can I use Pyrex for a water bath? ›

I've had several people ask about the water bath (or bain-marie) after our Thanksgiving Test Kitchen episode aired. We made my Grandmother's Corn Pudding and put the baking dish inside of a Pyrex that I filled with water. Simply put, the bain-marie helps the pudding cook more evenly.

What is baking in a water bath called? ›

Also known as a bain marie, a hot-water bath is an essential technique for cooking creamy desserts in the oven to achieve smooth custards, fluffy cheesecakes, and flawless flans.

Is flour or cornstarch better for filling apple pie? ›

Cornstarch is faster-acting than flour and forms a smooth, relatively clear filling. Just be aware that too much cornstarch can create a slimy texture. When cornstarch is combined with acidic ingredients such as rhubarb or lemon juice, it can cause the texture to break down over time.

How do you make apple pie filling not runny? ›

This is where a thickener, like flour, comes in. If your pie filling is too thin, consider whisking in additional flour. If you're making this recipe gluten-free, use cornstarch instead. Cornstarch will thicken the filling more than flour will, however, so go sparingly.

What is the ideal starch to use for thickening apple pie filling? ›

cornstarch. The ideal starch to use for thickening most fruit pie fillings is: a.

What ingredient thickens pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

Do you have to use clear jel for canning pie filling? ›

SAFETY ALERT: Pie fillings thickened with starches other than Clear Jel, such as flour, cornstarch, or tapioca, are not safe for canning. The heat penetration of these products is poor, and this may interfere with the destruction of bacteria during the canning process.

How long can I soak apples in water? ›

To use this method to prevent apples from turning brown, create a water bath for your apple slices with a ratio of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Soak the apple slices for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them. This simple step should keep your apples from browning for several hours.

How long do you water bath canned fruit? ›

Pack jars until there's about ½ inch to the top. No need to add water put on the canning lids and process in a boiling water bath. Canning time Pint jars 35 minutes, Quart jars 45 minutes. Always remember to can in the peak of ripeness.

How do you keep apples crisp when canning? ›

To help prevent the peeled apples from browning, dip the pieces in a lemon water bath or an ascorbic acid mixture, such as Fruit-Fresh (follow the instructions on the container). For a lemon water bath, fill a large bowl with about a gallon of cold water and juice from one lemon or 1/2 cup of bottled lemon juice.

How long do you hot water bath applesauce when canning? ›

Pour prepared applesauce into jars: Fill jars with applesauce leaving 1/2” of headspace. Use a small rubber spatula to scrape down the inside of the jar and remove any air bubbles. Wipe jar rims clean. Process in water-bath canner for 20 minutes.

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