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Canning apple pie filling at home means you’re just minutes away from having a pie in the oven. The apples are already peeled, chopped, seasoned and thickened. That allows you to just pour the pre-made apple pie filling into your favorite crust and bake.
Next time you need something quick for a potluck, you can still bring a homemade apple pie.
Table of Contents
Canning apple pie filling is my favorite way to turn a mountain of fall apples into instant desserts all winter long. One quart is basically “pie night in a jar,” and it’s just as good spooned over oatmeal, pancakes, and ice cream.
Apple pie filling is one of those pantry projects that feels a little bit magical: you do the peeling once, you do the mess once, and then you get to coast for months. The key is following a tested method, because pie fillings are thickened and that changes how heat moves through the jar.
It’s fancier than simply canning applesauce, a bit more versatile than apple jam, and more filling than canning apple juice or canning apple cider. And it has a brighter, fresher flavor than long cooked apple butter.
This version uses cook-type Clear Jel (the only thickener recommended for home-canned pie fillings) and bottled lemon juice for consistent acidity.
This tested apple pie filling canning recipe was developed by the National Center for Food Preservation, and it follows modern safe canning guidelines. They also have recipes for canning peach pie filling and canning cherry pie filling, but this one’s my favorite!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Canning Apple Pie Filling
- Recipe Type: Pie Filling with Clear Jel
- Canning Method: Waterbath Canning
- Prep/Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Canning Time: 25 Minutes for Pints and Quarts
- Yield: 7 quarts (see notes for pint instructions)
- Jar Sizes: Half Pint, Pint or Quart
- Headspace: 1 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Apples, Sugar, Juice, Clear Jel, and Spices.
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: National Center for Food Preservation
- Difficulty: Moderate. Working with clear jel has a learning curve, and it’s easy to make a mistake and clump or set the clear jel to early. Read the tips and directions thoroughly before beginning.
- Similar Recipes: The process is very similar to making other canned pie fillings, including Cherry Pie Filling and Peach Pie Filling.
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Ingredients for Canning Apple Pie Filling
This recipe has all the classic elements of a homemade apple pie, and the main difference is the thickener. While you can use flour, corn starch or tapioca starch when making pies generally, those can’t be used in canning.
The only tested thickener for canning is Clear Jel, a specific type of corn starch that is thin when hot, and gels nicely when cooled. It can be heated and cooled repeatedly, and it’ll continue to gel when it cools and liquify when hot. This allows heat to penetrate the jars during canning, and ensures that the pie will still set when it’s baked again later.
Here’s what you need for canning apple pie filling:
- Apples: Choose firm, crisp apples that hold their shape when heated. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, and Jonagold are all solid options, and I especially like mixing a tart apple (like Granny Smith) with something sweeter for a more “real pie” flavor. Slice them about ½-inch thick so they don’t turn mushy in the jar.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the filling and helps create that classic glossy pie-filling syrup. You can adjust the sugar to taste, but keep in mind that less sugar will make the apple flavor taste sharper and the spices more pronounced.
- Clear Jel: Use regular (cook-type) Clear Jel, not instant. Cook-type Clear Jel is designed to thicken properly through the heat of canning and still bake well later. Other thickeners (flour, cornstarch, tapioca) aren’t tested and cannot be safely used in canning. If you’re purchasing clear jel, it usually comes in containers measured by the pound rather than volume. One pound of clear jel equals about 3 cups, so plan accordingly.
- Cold water: This is the liquid Clear Jel needs to hydrate smoothly before the pot ever hits the burner. Starting with cold water helps prevent lumps, which is especially important with Clear Jel because clumps won’t dissolve once the mixture begins to thicken.
- Apple juice: Apple juice gives the filling a fuller, fruit-forward taste (instead of a sauce that just tastes like sugar and cinnamon). Store-bought juice works fine, but homemade apple juice or fresh-pressed cider makes a noticeably more “apple-y” jar. Don’t use all apple juice, it makes the flavor kind of overwhelming, and not in a good way. A mix of water and apple juice or cider is best.
- Bottled lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice is used because its acidity is standardized. Fresh lemons can vary, and in this recipe the lemon juice isn’t just flavor, it’s part of the tested balance for a safe, shelf-stable filling.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the main “apple pie” spice here, adding warmth without overpowering the fruit. Feel free to tweak the amount to your liking, especially if you prefer a more boldly spiced filling.
- Nutmeg (optional): Nutmeg adds that bakery-style depth that makes the filling smell like a pie the moment it warms up. A little goes a long way, which is why the amount is small—enough to round out the flavor without turning the filling into “nutmeg pie.”
Safe Recipe Changes
I like the recipe as written, but there are a few safe changes you can make if you’d like it a bit different.
You can safely adjust the spices (more cinnamon, add nutmeg, swap in a little allspice or ginger, etc.). I know some people are fond of a particular apple pie spice mix, and that’s perfectly fine. Use whatever dry spices suit your families taste.
The sugar is not for preservation, and it’s just there for flavor. You can adjust the sugar to suit your taste, especially after you’ve canned a test quart and baked a pie with it. Either add more sugar, or less, it’s up to you.
I find that this pie filling is quite sweet, so I don’t imagine you’ll need more sugar, but it’s perfectly fine to make a reduced sugar batch.
The clear jel can be reduced to make a less thick filling, but you cannot increase the total amount. The filling comes out quite thick, so increasing it isn’t really something I can imagine doing anyway.
Don’t substitute any other thickeners into this recipe. Cook Type Clear Jel is the only safe, tested thickener for canning pie fillings. It can be hard to find, unless you have an amish market nearby. I buy mine online in tubs from Hoosier Hill Farm and it’s just a few dollars a batch.
The lemon juice can be increased, but it cannot be decreased. You need to keep the minimum amount there the same.
So the main things you should not do are reduce the bottled lemon juice or increase the Clear Jel beyond what the recipe calls for. Those two need to stay in proportion to the total amount of apples in the recipe.
Just made this recipe. It worked out perfectly. I never blanched my apples first before but it really worked to solve the problem of the apples rising to the top and the gel settling on the bottom. This will be my go to recipe from now on!
Making Apple Pie Filling for Canning
Start by getting your canning setup ready: heat a boiling-water canner, wash your jars and lids, and keep the jars warm since hot pie filling should always go into hot jars.
Peel, core, and slice the apples into pieces about ½-inch thick so they hold their shape and stay pleasantly “pie-like” after processing. If you want to keep the slices looking bright, you can hold them in an ascorbic-acid solution to prevent browning while you work. A splash of lemon juice in water works too.
This step is purely cosmetic and won’t affect safety. Brown apples aren’t as pretty in a jar, but they’re just as tasty.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the apple slices for one minute, working in batches, then drain and keep the apples warm in a covered bowl or pot so they’re ready to go into the thickened syrup.
As they blanch, you’ll notice they bubble a good bit. That’s air being driven out of their tissues, which shrinks them so they can fit in the jar better and removes air so they float less.
To make the sauce, whisk the sugar and Clear Jel together in a large pot first, then add the cold or room temperature water, apple juice, and spices and whisk until completely smooth before turning on the heat.
Clear jel can clump if it’s dissolved in hot liquid, so don’t use your apple blanching water here. You need cool or room temperature water to get everything dissolved, and then you can start heating it once it’s whisked smooth.
Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and comes to a bubble. Once it’s bubbling, add the bottled lemon juice and continue boiling for one minute, stirring the entire time.
Remove from the heat, and turn back to your blanched apples that you’ve held warm while you made the sauce.
Take the pot off the heat, fold in the warm, drained apples, and immediately ladle the hot filling into prepared quart jars, leaving one inch of headspace. De-bubble, adjust headspace if needed, wipe rims, apply lids and then tighten on rings to fingertip tight.
Work quickly, as the clear jel will start setting up as it cools. It needs to be piping hot when it goes into the jars to pack evenly without bubbles.
If you’re not canning, this pie filling can then be stored in the fridge and it should keep for about a week or so. That said, I think it’s much nicer to process the batch in a waterbath canner so you can store it on the pantry shelf until you need it.
Canning Apple Pie Filling
If canning, prepare a waterbath canner, jars, lids and rings before beginning.
Once everything is ladled into jars and they’re de-bubbled and capped with two part canning lids they can be loaded into a pre-heated canner. The canner should be simmering, around 180 degrees F.
Bring the canner up to a full rolling boil before you start your timer.
Process jars, both pints and quarts, for 25 minutes adjusting for altitude (see below).
When the processing time is up, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the hot water for about 10 minutes to help reduce siphoning, then lift them out and set them on a towel to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
Pie fillings are prone to sciphoning or liquid loss as they come out of the canner, so this extra step to allow them to cool slightly before you bring them out into the air is really helpful.
After they’ve cooled, check the seals and refrigerate any jars that didn’t seal. Properly processed and sealed jars can be stored on the pantry shelf, where they’ll maintain peak quality for 8 to 12 months.
Altitude Adjustments
Process hot-packed pints or quarts for:
- 0–1,000 ft: 25 minutes
- 1,001–3,000 ft: 30 minutes
- 3,001–6,000 ft: 35 minutes
- Above 6,000 ft: 40 minutes
Yield Notes
This recipe is written so that you can make either a 1 pint batch or a full 7 pint canner batch. If you’d like to make something in between, simply multiply the 1 quart batch by the number of quarts you’d like to make.
The NCHFP measures the sliced apples in quarts, which is honestly, a strange way to do it.
I have found that 9 pounds of apples as purchased (or about 24 medium apples) will yield 6 quarts sliced (or about 6 pounds prepared). That’s the amount required for a full 7 quart canner batch.
Your yield might be slightly different, if you’re more or less efficient peeling and coring the apples. Still, the finished yield holds true. A quart (4 cups) of peeled, sliced apples weighs about a pound. You’ll need slightly less than a pound of prepared sliced apples (7/8ths pound, 0.875 lb, 14 ounces or about 400 grams) to equal the 3 ½ cups for every quart of pie filling you hope to make.
Storage
If properly canned and sealed, pie fillings can be stored on your pantry shelf and will be safe to eat indefinitely (so long as they’re sealed).
While canned food doesn’t spoil, but it does decline in quality over time. Most canning recipes say that it’s best to consume the food within 12 to 18 months for best quality.
I have found, however, that pie fillings with clear jel don’t hold their quality quite as long as jams and jellies. For best quality, use within 8 to 12 months of canning.
They’ll hold longer if they’re kept in a cool, dark pantry, out of direct sunlight and away from heat.
Using Canned Apple Pie Filling
One quart makes roughly one 8-inch pie, and I’ve found that you need a quart plus a pint for an average 9 inch pie. If you have a really big deep dish pie, you might use 2 quarts.
For the most part, I can apple pie filling in quarts. When I use it for pie, I use a quart and a half in the pie, and then save the extra bit left from the second quart in the fridge to use to top ice cream, oatmeal and waffles throughout the week.
Apple pie filling isn’t just for baking pies, and it works really well anywhere you’d like a sweet apple-y filling or topping. It’s perfect between layers on a birthday cake, and it makes for an extra special sunday pancake day. Many recipes use it as a cheesecake topping, and of course, you can always use it in cobblers and crisps.
I like using it in my apple pie shortbread bars, and it’s tasty in thumbprint cookies too.
FAQ for Apple Pie Filling
Yes. Regular (cook-type) Clear Jel is the only thickener used in tested recipes for canning apple pie filling. It stays thinner while hot (so heat can move through the jar) and then gels as it cools, which is exactly what you want for safe canning and a filling that still bakes up properly later.
Cornstarch (as well as flour and tapioca) isn’t recommended for canning apple pie filling because it changes how heat penetrates the jar and it isn’t used in tested canning methods. If you want a different thickener, add it after opening the jar when you’re reheating the filling.
Yes. Sugar is there for flavor and texture, not preservation, so you can reduce it to match your taste. Just know that a lower-sugar filling will taste more tangy/bright and the spices may come through more strongly.
Pie filling is one of the most siphon-prone products because it’s thick and holds heat. To reduce siphoning, keep jars and filling hot, maintain proper headspace, don’t over-thicken, and let the jars rest in the canner with the heat off for about 10 minutes before removing them. Also be careful about your headspace, and if siphoning continues to be a problem, increase the headspace to 1 1/4 inches and wipe the rim carefully.
If properly processed and sealed, it’s shelf-stable, but for best quality (texture and consistency) I recommend using Clear Jel apple pie filling within 8 to 12 months. Store jars in a cool, dark pantry and refrigerate after opening.
A quart is usually right for an 8-inch pie. For a standard 9-inch pie, I typically use 1 quart plus 1 pint, and deep-dish pies may take 2 quarts depending on the pan.
Apple Canning Recipes
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Canning Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
For 1 Quart
- 3 ½ cups Apples, peeled, cored and sliced, see notes
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup Clear Jel, cook-type, not instant
- ½ cup cold water
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
- ½ tsp cinnamon, optional
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg, optional
For a 7-Quart Canner Batch
- 6 quarts Apples, peeled, cored and sliced, see notes
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups Clear Jel, cook-type, not instant
- 2 ½ cups cold water
- 5 cups apple juice
- ¾ cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon, optional
- 1 tsp nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Before you start cooking, prepare a boiling-water canner, wash jars and lids, and keep the jars hot. Apple pie filling is thick and sets quickly, so you want everything ready to go before the Clear Jel mixture finishes thickening.
- Wash the apples, then peel and core them. Slice into pieces about ½-inch thick so they stay nicely “pie-like” in the jar. If you want to prevent browning while you work, hold the slices in a solution of ascorbic acid and water (or water with a splash of lemon juice), then drain well. This step is optional and only affects appearance.
- Bring a separate pot of plain water to a boil and blanch the apple slices for 1 minute, working in batches so the pot stays at a boil. Drain each batch well and transfer the warm apples to a covered bowl or pot to keep them hot while you finish blanching the rest. Keeping the apples warm helps everything stay hot-packed and ready for the jars.
- In a large, non-reactive pot, whisk the sugar and cook-type Clear Jel together until evenly combined. Add the cold (or room-temperature) water and apple juice, then whisk thoroughly until the Clear Jel is completely dissolved and the mixture looks perfectly smooth. Don’t shortcut this step. Once Clear Jel starts heating, any dry pockets can turn into little gel lumps that won’t smooth back out.
- Set the pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom and corners as you go. As the mixture heats, it will begin to look more translucent and noticeably thicken. Keep stirring until it comes to a full bubble (not just a lazy simmer). When the mixture is bubbling, add the bottled lemon juice, stir well, and continue boiling for 1 minute, still stirring constantly.
- Remove the pot from the heat and immediately fold in the drained, warm apple slices. Stir gently but thoroughly so all slices are coated and the filling is evenly distributed. Work promptly from this point forward so the filling stays hot.
- Ladle the hot apple pie filling into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Use a bubble remover (or a plastic knife/chopstick) to work out trapped air pockets around the fruit, then re-check headspace and adjust if needed. Wipe the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any syrup or starch residue, then apply two-piece canning lids and screw bands on fingertip-tight.
- Load the jars into the preheated canner. The water should be hot/simmering when the jars go in; then bring the canner up to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, start the processing timer and process pints or quarts for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed.
- When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Let the jars rest in the hot water for about 10 minutes before removing them, which helps reduce siphoning (pie fillings are especially prone to it). After the rest, lift the jars out with a jar lifter and place them upright on a towel, leaving space between jars. Don’t retighten bands and don’t disturb the jars while they cool.
- Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, then remove bands, label, and store sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use them first. Refrigerate after opening any jar.
Notes
Safe adjustments
You may adjust dry spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice blends, etc.) to taste. You may also adjust the sugar up or down since it’s there for flavor, not preservation. You may reduce the Clear Jel slightly for a looser filling, but do not increase it beyond the recipe amount. You may increase lemon juice for extra tartness, but you may not decrease it; the minimum amount must remain the same.Altitude Adjustments
Process hot-packed pints or quarts for:- 0–1,000 ft: 25 minutes
- 1,001–3,000 ft: 30 minutes
- 3,001–6,000 ft: 35 minutes
- Above 6,000 ft: 40 minutes
Yield and Scaling
The recipe is written as one-quart amounts and a full seven-quart canner batch. To make any amount in between, multiply the one-quart ingredient amounts by the number of quarts you want. For the full canner batch, I’ve found that about 9 pounds of apples as purchased (roughly 24 medium apples) yields the 6 quarts sliced apples. A quart of peeled, sliced apples weighs about a pound, and each quart of finished pie filling uses 3 ½ cups sliced apples, which is roughly 14 ounces (about 400 g) prepared apples.Using Canned Pie Filling
One quart fills about an eight-inch pie. For a typical nine-inch pie, I usually use a quart plus a pint, and deep dish pies may take two quarts. Any extra opened filling keeps well in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wonderful!! I have used several of your recipes. Canning and regular dishes. Was given a lot of apples, my first thought was to get on your website!
Always read comments so was happy to read I could decrease the sugar. Made 6 quarts with a little left over, hubby is having with his ice cream tonight. 😁
Thank you.
You’re very welcome. We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I just made this recipe today from the Ball Canning Book, I followed everything to a T and made sure to get as many air bubbles out before putting the lids on. When they finished processing and I let the stand for the 5 minutes when I removed them from the pot to the counter it look like there were all these bubbles again. Is that normal? I mean they look exactly like your pictures.
Yes, it’s totally fine.
I added the lemon juice with the spices before cooking! Then I read the recipe again and it said to add it after it boils. Now I am worried about the safety of my apple pie filling. Do you think it will be ok?
It shouldn’t affect the safety of the recipe, just the quality.
I made this but unfortunately my apples all floated. Perhaps I didn’t blanch them for long enough. Now the apples on top are out of the canning liquid. Will it be okay?
Did you make the apple pie filling or did you do a raw pack? The issue with apples floating usually happens with a raw pack. The clear gel in this recipe typically thickens them up enough that floating isn’t a problem.
now that you mentioned it the jars where my apples floated were the ones I made with out clear jel since I didn’t have any and I thickened it with corn starch after opening the jar when makeing the pie still turned out good.
OK, you should be fine. I would use those up first since the ones that are above the liquid might discolor a bit but as long as you followed proper canning procedures, it should still be safe to eat.
I had that also but when I opened and used it still worked out great and tasted great. so I wouldn’t be concerned about it
ALRIGHT!! I doubled this recipe. I used the water from boiling the apples as I do not have apple juice. The flavor is spot on, and amazing.
I used granny smith apples from my yard. I ended up getting 7 quarts and one pint. Used the pint this morning to make apple pastry and holy cow, delicious!
That’s wonderful. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I doubled this and got 7 quarts and one pint. This thickened up a lot!
At first I read this as twelve pounds, not 12 cups. I had nine pounds prepared before I realized. So because I doubled it, I used 24 cups which worked out to just over six pounds.
I used the maximum amount of cinnamon. I didn’t have apple juice, so I used some of the water I boiled the apples in.
Hoping this turns out.
Sounds great! I hope you enjoy it. Let us know how it turns out.
I made this this morning, and it is delicious. I doubled the recipe, and everything worked out great. Thanks for the great recipes. Since I have discovered your website, I have spent a small fortune. My new bread machine arrived yesterday (thanks for those recipes). I had no idea I needed a bread machine but apparently, I do and to be honest I can’t wait to use it. My 57 books I ordered based on your recommendations have been arriving steadily all week. The Foxfire collection arrived today, if my husband figures out what that cost, he’s going to have a stroke. I’m scared to start reading about making my own wine. As much as I want to, I afraid that is a rabbit hole I’m not ready for yet. I will be the next drunk bread maker if I get into that too. Anyway, you are amazing, and I hope you are staying warm up there in the cold country. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks again for being you and sharing all of your knowledge with us.
Your comment made me chuckle. You’re very welcome and thanks for sharing.
Hello, I just canned my first apple pie filling. I am very new to canning. I used a different recipe, sad to say, and I canned them in my pressure canner, not a water bath. When I pulled them out, the filling and apples separated. The filling is on bottom and apples are on top. How did that happen?
It’s hard to say without seeing the recipe that you used but it could be the recipe or the pressure canning that caused the separation. Water bath processing is the only tested and approved method for preserving apple pie filling.
thanks for the helpful information. I canned 2 double batches using half brown sugar and half white. The consistency and taste were perfect. couple things I found helpful I put the lemon juice in a spray bottle and ever so often as I added to my bowl of peeled, sliced apples I just gave it a couple misting squirts lot easier than trying to sprinkle them with lemon juice. the one thing I had problem with was I had a couple jars were the lids popped off in the canner one I got back on and reprocessed the other I made apple cobbler out of. what I found out was all my name brand kerr or ball jars did not have any problem but the non-name brand that I got and used during covid-19 when jars were hard to get would not hold the rings even new ones. So my warning is if you have any non-name brand jars check the rings to make sure they sinch down tight before using them mine are just a little bit off.
Thanks for sharing. We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Apple juice is very near the ph of 5% vinegar so it is safe to use in this recipe. So by adding 1/2 cup of lemon juice makes this a very safe recipe.
Just made this recipe. It worked out perfectly. I never blanched my apples first before but it really worked to solve the problem of the apples rising to the top and the gel settling on the bottom. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
I have read all the comments. Sounds like following the recipe works perfectly. I am questioning the directions on the Clear Jel container versus the directions in the recipe. The container says to add the jel to boiling liquid. This recipe states to mix everything together (except for lemon) and then bring to a boil. Just double checking!
Did you double-check to make sure that you have the cook type of Clear Jel?
Yes. “NONGMO Cooktype”. Just found it concerning g to have two different sets of directions.
I did make it the way you state, and had no problems with it. Baking a pie right now to see how it tastes!
That’s great. Thanks for sharing. It’s possible that both methods will work just fine. Hope you enjoy your pie.
Just a tip… If you fill your jar to the top of where the jar starts to curve inwards towards the neck, there will be a much less chance of siphoning. One homesteader I know calls it “the sweet spot” and she’d be right! ❤️
This was a wonderful tutorial and recipe. I made two batches, one after the other. All sealed and no siphoning. I had to lick the ladle when finished filling the jars. So delicious! Thanks for the very detailed instruction!!!
You’re very welcome. We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Are there any substitutes for the clear gel?
No, there isn’t a substitute for canning pie filling. If you don’t have access to the clear gel, you can just can the apple slices and make it into filling when you’re ready to make the pie.
I first canned it with out clear jell and just thicked it with corn starch when I opened it and was making the pie while this worked fine and was less expensive after using clear jell I will always go the clear jell route much easier to use and I l8ke the consistency better.
all you do is make the crust dump in your pie filling and cook. also great for apple crisp
Thanks for sharing.
I am so excited to try this canning recipe. I had to look up if the processing times for pints and quarts were the same or different. I do not know if anyone else has asked this question before. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation it is the same.
I have read the comments and questions posted by other canners, and jotted down their questions, your tips, & any tips they found to help onto my print out. I am hoping to work on slicing up the bushel of Liberty apples I have in the next day or two. Just canned the last my applesauce apples today from remaining 1/3 of bushel of apples. I agree with you on peeling, slicing and coring 1 or 1/2 bushel of apples at a time is easier than prepping X pounds needed for 1 batch. I think if I soak the slices in the lemon water, drain slices then store in an air tight container, I can prep the apple slices for each batch a day or part of the day ahead of needing to blanch and prep the filling part. I did purchased the ClearJel from the link on this webpage. Fingers crossed everything turns out ok, because I still have pumpkins and winter squash to can next and running low on jars! The family requested more canned green beans, tomatoes and applesauce than I planned out!
I am a frequent pie baker, for those who commented about runny pies after the pie have cooled and had been cut, they might want to add 1 tablespoon of flour, tapioca or cornstarch to help with the thickening post baking, cooling and cutting into the pie from their home canned pie filling. I add a minimum of 1 tablespoon of tapioca to store bought pie filling, even the apple filling. I hate having to clean up bubbled over pie filling off my oven spill catch mat. I found using a pie/quiche standing sealer after cutting any pie and removing a slice of two, helps keep the filling from spilling out into the empty space.
Just got into canning and excited to try! Trader Joes has a yummy sparkling apple juice. I wonder if I could use that instead of regular apple juice?
I’m not sure about that. I haven’t heard of anyone using a sparkling juice before. If something like that hasn’t been tested for safety, I wouldn’t recommend it. Also there’s a good chance that the flavor and certainly the carbonation wouldn’t come through in your final product.
Since I used very sweet apples from my neighbors tree, mixed with some store bought Granny Smith, it turned out way too sweet for my family. I made a second double batch using 1/2c less sugar and subbed 1/2c brown sugar for white. It turned out perfectly that time around. I highly recommend playing with it depending on the sweetness of your apples.
The only thing I wish the author would discuss, and the reason for 4 stars and not 5 stars, is the thickness of the apples. The first batch is used a little under 1/2” slices. That was thicker than we like but since I afraid they’d turn mushy I went thicker. On the second double batch I cut them at a little under 1/4” and they worked well. I think I could use my peeler/slicer/coring thing to make it faster.
Overall the recipe wired well for me. Thanks for sharing!
Can you use Sure jell instead of the Clearjel? I can’t find it in my grocery store. We only have one where I live,
Clear Jel and Sure Jel are not the same thing and Sure Jel is a pectin and is not suitable for pie fillings. Here is a link that I found from the Iowa State Extension Office that explains in more detail. https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2020/08/25/clear-jel-vs-sure-jel/#:~:text=Clear%20Jel%20and%20Sure%20Jell%20are%20trade%20names%20of%20two,found%20among%20the%20canning%20supplies.
Can I just pour it into a pan and thicken it and them pour in the pie shell?
Yes I would give that a try and see how it works.
I made this recipe a couple of days ago, and made a pie the next day, because we were all anxious to try it. It thickened up fine, canned fine, looks beautiful, tastes wonderful. My question is…after baking, it’s runny. What happened? What should I do to fix it?
Clear Gel is designed to flow when hot and thicken as it cools.
We didn’t eat it until 20 hours later.
Ok so it was definitely cooled then. And you bought the type of clear jel that is made for cooking and not the instant type?
Correct. Label reads : Clear Jel Powder, Non-GMO Cooktype