Canning Apple Pie Filling
Apple Pie is my husband's favorite dessert. Of course, I just found that out about a month ago! Yes, that's right, after more than a decade of marriage, I'm just now finding out his favorite dessert!
The really sad thing is, I've only made it twice in that whole time! So to attempt to make up for such a terrible lapse in my cooking patterns, I've been making it a lot recently.
The first few times I peeled the apples right before making the pie. But just as I'm never peeling another tomato before canning, I wanted to find a way to reduce my labor every time I wanted to make apple pie filling!
So, I started canning the apple pie filling instead. And after realizing that canned apples make an EVEN better pie, I'm sold on never peeling another apple just to make pies again!
Canning Apples for Baking
This recipe for canned apples is done in a water bath canner, and the apples are hot packed, which means they are boiled in syrup before canning.
You can raw pack the apples instead, and just pour the syrup over the top, but you will lose a lot of liquid during the process and your apples will be partially sitting in the air (inside the jar). That's a matter of personal preference, but for the recipe we will be hot packing the apples before canning.
This is a water bath canning recipe, so follow those direction here but process the jars for the time indicated below.
Ingredients
- 12 Pounds of Apples
- 5 Quart Jars with Rings and Lids
- Jar Labels optional
- 5 Cups Sugar
- 3 and 1/4 Cups Water
- General Canning Items as Listed HERE
Instructions
- Prepare jars according to Canning Directions HERE
- Wash, core, and peel Apples.
- Cut Apples lengthwise into 1/4 inch (ish) slices.
- Combine Sugar and Water in a large pan and bring to a boil.
- Add Apples to Syrup, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pack Apples into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle syrup over apples, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Use plastic canning knife to remove all air bubbles.
- Process quarts according to Canning Directions for 20 minutes.
To Make Apple Pie with Canned Apples
- With 1 Einkorn Pie Crust ready, drain Canned Apple juice into a sauce pan.
- Stir over low heat until well combined.
- Raise heat to medium and stir until thickened.
- Add apples to Pie Crust and pour thickened juice evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°.
- Reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
Cyndy Place says
Can the apples be prepared using Erythritol Sweetener Natural Sugar Substitute rather than real sugar?
Thanks
Victoria says
Hi Cyndy, technically you can, but the shelf life will only be about a month. I would not recommend for that reason and also because I can’t guarantee taste. I’m sorry!
You can replace the sugar with 3/4 the amount of sugar in honey instead, if desired.
Edit to correct your name: autocorrect changed it!
Lisa W says
So you didn’t use any SureJell or ClearJel for this recipe? If not, I am so trying this recipe.
Thank you!
Victoria says
No store-bought nothing! ;-) Enjoy!
Michael says
I made this recipe today and the ‘syrup’ was just a thin sugar water. I even reduced the amount of water in my second batch. I hope that when I make pies I don’t end up with soggy bottoms and wet dough.
Victoria says
Hi Michael, I’m glad you got a chance to try this recipe!
Reducing the water content is not recommended, as it just increases the sugar content and may cause your pie to be too sweet.
Please be sure to read the section within the recipe about actually using your pie filling. You thicken the filling AFTER canning, as canning with a thickener is not considered safe canning practice.
Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to check out the full directions within the recipe! :-)
Judy says
What kind of apples did you use, as they are not all equal as to firmness after cooking? The slices look like they kept their shape in the photos. Thanks!
Victoria says
Hi Judy! I generally use Gala or Fuji apples, because my husband likes their flavor best, but we have used all sorts of apples with great results.
I would just pick the flavor profile you like best, and use those! :-) Enjoy!
Abby says
Is this 12 lbs pre-peeled and cored or 12 lbs after?
Thanks!
Victoria says
Great question, Abby! It’s pre-pealed and cored :-)