Apple Pie Filling

Eilenora really wanted to go apple picking this year.  Apple picking is not like berry picking - picking that many apples means that you have to find something to do with them, so I decided to try to make canned apple pie filling.  Then we went to go picking the apples and found out that Butler's Orchard was already done with apples - so we bought some instead.  Next year we will pick them!

Never having canned anything before, I was expecting a much more grueling process than what we actually had to do.  And it was fun!  I got this recipe from Mormon Cooking - a cookbook I got for my wedding and haven't actually used much.  I should use it more, because this turned out really well.  Some of the cans I will use for pies, but I wanted to try it right away.  So I put it over vanilla ice cream.  It worked great as an ice cream topper. 


4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
10 cups water
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 or 3 drops of yellow food coloring
6 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1. Blend the first five ingredients together, then stir in water.  Cook and stir until thinkened.
2. Add lemon juice and food coloring.  Fold apples into cooked mixture.  Heat thoroughly.
3. Pack into sterilized hot quart jars (I used pint jars) leaving 1 inch of head space.  Put into hot water bath and process for 20 minutes.  One quart makes a 9 inch pie.  (Okay, so I deviated from this part quite a bit.  If you wash your jars in the dishwasher, and then use the heater in the dishwasher to dry them, the jars will come out clean and hot.  Add the hot apple mixture to the hot jars and put the lids on.  Then turn the jars upside down to cool.  The heat from the jar and apple mixture will seal the jar.  I got this tip from my sister, Tammy.  It seemed to work really well! - Then you don't have to use the hot water bath to process the jars.)