Fresh! Homemade! Canned Apple Pie Filling!

Apples has always been a comfort fruit for me. Yes, I said fruit not food!

Maybe because the old saying goes, “A apple a day, keeps the doctor away”.

Or maybe because for some reason apples represent Americana and Freedom.

Or maybe it’s just the plain fact that apples, when baked, symbolizes a sense of “coming home”.

There is nothing better in life than walking through your front door and smelling the aroma and baked apples, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

My daddy has lived in my childhood home for 47 years.  It is the place where memories were made with lots of tears, smiles, yelling and laughter.  It’s the place where I still can feel my momma’s presence. The place where life still matters in this world of chaos that we live in. The place where time stands still and hard work can still be found.

My bedroom window, of my childhood home, looked out at a old apple tree.  As a kid I would go out and eat the apples just as soon as they started growing.  My momma and tell me I was asking for a tummy ache.  And even though technically I didn’t ask, I still always ended up with one.

Maybe that’s why apples are so important to me.  It reminds me of the days gone by and the innocence of childhood.

I still pick those apples off that old apple tree, but now I wait just a tad bit longer and let them grow out of some of the tartness.  I recently made some Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling from my daddy’s apples and I wanted to share of piece of my love for those apple with you.

Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

16 apples (4 quarts of filling)

6 cups of water

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of corn starch

3 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of cloves or 6 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

4 quart size caning jars, rings and lids

Hot Water Canner or large stock pot

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and slice up your apples
2. Boil your canning jars and lids to be filled
3. Fill your jars 3/4 up with apple pieces
4. Add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar of apples to help with discoloration
5. Bring your water to a rolling boil on the stove
6. Turn the heat down and add your sugar to dissolve
7. When sugar is dissolved turn off the heat to the pan
8. Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the sugar water and mix
9. In a separate bowl combine your corn starch with 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix together
10. When the corn starch is liquefied add it to the other ingredients and mix
11.  Pour the mixture into the canning jars over the apples
12. Make sure to cover the apples completely
13. Remove air bubbles by running a knife around the insides of the jars.
14. Add the sterile lids and rims.
15. Process the pie filling in a hot water bath for 30 minutes
16. Place the processed jars on a dish towel and allow to cool and seal overnight
17. Now it’s time to Enjoy!

Do you remember my Patriotic Mini Apple Pies?

Well now you can use your fresh canned apples in your mini apple pies!