Preserve your apple harvest and make apple pie filling and can it in canning jars to use at a later date!
Canned apple pie filling allows you to make delicious apple desserts with homemade pie filling all year long.
Why make this recipe
I love apple pies! My favorite is made with tart fresh apples. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to make a pie and this apple pie filling really comes in handy. You just make a quick pie dough, open a jar of filling, pour it in and bake! Instant dessert!
Apple pie filling is also amazing in cobblers, crisps and warmed and spooned over ice cream! And I'll let you in on a little secret - this pie filling is delicious just scooped right out of the jar and eaten with a spoon!
If you love having your pantry filled with delicious homemade pie filling, you should also check out this peach pie filling!
I love canning and preserving our own food. We grow a lot of apples and while I do love them best fresh, I also love canning apples and using them all year long. Some of my favorites include apple butter, apple sauce and this canned apple pie filling.
Type of apples to use
Almost any type of firm apple will work fine for this canned apple pie filling. You do want an apple that is going to hold its shape when cooked. Some good options are Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, Macintosh and Gravenstein.
Many of our apples are old trees that were planted several decades ago. We don't know the true variety, but when you bite into them, they have a great crispness to them.
Peel and core your apples
To peel, core and slice the apples, I used an apple peeler. If you don't have one, no problem! Just use a small paring knife. The apple peeler makes canning this filling a bit quicker! It not only peels the apples, but it cores and slices the apples too.
Once the apples are all peeled, I slice the stack in half. It makes it easier to fit half-moon slices into the jars.
Don't worry if your apples begin to discolor a bit. You can add them to a large bowl filled with water to help stop discoloration if desired. Once added to the thickened mixture, the sliced apples will take on the golden color from the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Clear Jel
Clear Jel is a modified corn starch that is designed for commercial bakeries and home canning. It is a USDA approved thickener for canning pie fillings at home. Clear Jel is heat tolerant and can be reheated again and again, which makes it perfect for canning and then baking again into a dessert.
Look for Clear Jel at some grocery stores and small markets that specialize in repackaging and selling bulk food items. You can also buy it online and have it shipped directly to your home.
Don't use instant Clear Jel. It reacts very differently than regular (cook type) Clear Jel.
Canning guidelines
- Use clean canning jars
- Select the best fruit you can find (you can cut off any small bruised areas)
- Leave 1 inch of headspace at the top of your jar
- Use a small spatula to remove air pockets in filled jars
- Always wipe rim of jars before putting lid on
- Tighten ring firmly
- Boil in a water bath according to USDA for 25 minutes (adjust according to your altitude - see chart below)
- When time is done, turn off heat and let jars remain in the boiling water for 5 minutes before you remove. This helps prevent the filling from leaking out of the jar when it hits a cooler room temperature. Tip from Ashley at Practical Self Reliance.
- Let jars cool for at least 12 hours before removing rings
- Wash jars to remove any sticky residue. Rings should be removed for washing.
- Check to make certain jars are sealed
- Label and date jars
- Use any unsealed jars right away
- Store canned goods in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months
Increase processing time
| Altitude Feet | Increase Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 1,001- 3,000 3,001- 6,000 6,001- 8,000 8,001-10,000 | 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes |
Frequently asked questions
These canned apples should last for 18 months if stored in a cool dark place.
Anytime you open a jar of canned goods, you want to examine the jar first. Look for anything unusual - foaming, bubbles, and leaking are all signs that the contents are not good. Also, make certain the lid is fully sealed. If mold and discoloration occur on the top, discard the contents. When in doubt, throw it out! Never taste a product that you are unsure of.
If a jar doesn't seal, you have two options - Place it in the refrigerator and use up within one week or remove lid wipe down surface of rim. Place a new lid on and process in water bath again.
The temperature for water to boil varies by elevation. The higher you go, the lower the temperature for water to reach a boil. In order to compensate for this lower boil temperature, time is added to your processing time.
If you are looking for other canning recipes, try Canning Tomatoes, Canning Peaches, Homemade Blackberry Jam and Apricot Jam.
Use this pie filling as a topping on these cream cheese danish!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my canning recipes.
Listen to the recipe
You can listen to all the steps on how to can tomatoes on the podcast Preserving the Pantry! Just click on the play button below to listen now!
Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 6 quarts apples (peeled, cored and sliced - approximately 30 medium sized apples)
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups Clear Jel
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 7 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup lemon juice (bottled lemon juice)
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg and water.5 cups sugar, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 7 ½ cups water, 1 ½ cups Clear Jel
- Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Stir mixture often to prevent scorching.
- Add lemon juice and continue cooking for one minute¾ cup lemon juice
- Add apple slices and stir carefully6 quarts apples
- Heat for 3-5 minutes on low until apples are heated through.
- Remove from heat and fill prepared jars with mixture. Leave at least 1 - 1 ¼ inch headspace in each jar.
- Use a small spatula to get rid of any air pockets or air bubbles in jars
- Wipe jars. Place canning lid and ring on jars.
- Process for 25 minutes (adjust for altitude) in a boiling water bath. When processing time is done, turn off heat and keep jars in the hot water for 5-10 minutes. This will help prevent siphoning.
Notes
- Select the best fruit you can find (you can cut off any small bruised areas)
- Use a small spatula to remove air pockets and large bubbles
- Always wipe rim of jars before putting lid on
- Tighten ring firmly, but don't over tighten
- Boil in a water bath for 25 minutes - adjust time for your elevation
- When time is done, turn off heat and let jars remain in the boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes before you remove. This helps prevent the filling from leaking out of the jar when it hits a cooler room temperature.
- Let jars cool for at least 12 hours before removing rings
- Wash jars to remove any sticky residue. Rings should be removed for washing.
- Check to make certain jars are sealed
- Date and label jars
- Use any unsealed jars right away
- Store canned goods in a cool, dark place
- 1,001- 3,000 ft. - add 5 minutes
- 3,001- 6,000 ft. - add 10 minutes
- 6,001- 8,000 ft. - add 15 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 ft. - add 20 minutes
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in October 2016. The recipe and pictures have been updated.
Josie says
Is it okay to use juice squeezed from fresh lemons?
Kathy says
Hi Josie,
The USDA recommends using bottled lemon juice in canning because the juice is at a consistent acidity level. Fresh lemons can vary in acidity due to growing temperature and environment. In order to make this filling safe for water bath canning, you need to use bottled lemon juice. Here's an article where you can read more.
Kathy
Sherry says
I made24 jars of pie filling and they are great. Thank you will do peaches next year as well.
Kathy says
Yay!!! Now you have a pantry filled with deliciousness! 🙂
Betty says
Hi, do I have to use clear gel? What will happen if I don't. I'm kinda new to this. But I have seen other re ipes that don't call for it.
Kathy says
The clear gel is a thickening agent. You can choose not to use it, but the filling will not be thick. Some people do make the filling without and then add whatever they want to thicken it with when they are making the pie.
Terri G. says
I thought this recipe was spot on! 16 quarts of apples produced 7 quarts of pie filling. The sauce got really thick, really fast and I was worried it was too thick but it tasted great and canned up just fine. I left 1 - 1 1/2 inches of head space and it needed all of it. Screwed the rings on fingertip tight and had very little seepage. I used ThermFlo because that was what I had on hand. Glad I ignored the crazy comment about this recipe/process not working because I think it worked well and will definitely use again. Thanks!!!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! I'm so glad this work so well for you and I really appreciate you leaving a comment! 🙂
JarmySC says
I've been canning pretty much everything for mere than 50 years and this was the biggest "fail" mess I've ever encountered. First, telling me to cook the liquid until it thickens doesn't mean much because what I think is thick might not be what you think is thick. Am I supposed to cook the liquid until it's clear? I don't know. Still I cooked the liquid until it was almost clear like in your photos. Then I packed the jars, removed air, did all the things you do before putting jars in my water bath canner. Set the timer, let the jars sit in the water for 10 mins after the canning cycle as specified. When I lifted the jars from the canner, they literally blew off the lids the and spewed apple gunk over the sides of the jars and into the counter. Yes, I left plenty of headspace, as I said I've been canning food for most of my long life. Love the idea of this recipe but now I'll spend the next hour dumping out apples and goo, cleaning my counter and the floor where some of the goo fell onto it,etc. What a waste of my time and apples.
Kathy says
I'm sorry this didn't work for you.
Joon says
This is surprising as this is the first apple pie filling I've ever canned and it worked perfectly for me. I made 7 quarts using this recipe and following the instructions all of the jars sealed properly and I had no siphoning. I got nothing but compliments on the outcome and I'm about to make my second batch.
Kathy says
Hi Joon,
Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment! There are so many variables involved with canning so it's hard to say exactly why something doesn't work out. I'm happy to know others have success with this recipe too!
Kathy 🙂
Blanca says
Hi there, I'm new to canning and just wanted to make sure I have the correct amount of apples. It says for 6 quarts it's approximately 30 medium apples, when you hit the 2x or 3x it still says 30 apples for all. Would I use 60/90 for the other amounts when making bigger batches? I hope this makes sense.
Kathy says
Hi Blanca,
Thanks for your question. When using the 2x or 3x function, it only changes the quantities in the actual ingredients, not in the notes or the instructions. I hope that helps, but please let me know if you need further clarification.
Kathy
Blanca says
Thank you for your quick response. So when using the 2x ingredients would I use 60 apples and 3x 90 apples?
Linda Satterburg says
The best apple pie filling I’ve ever tasted! Thank you for this easy recipe! I’ve finally found a use for my cooked clear gel! I had one of my quart jars break when placed in the canner, not unusual for me I’m afraid, but will make another batch today! I see Christmas gifts to friends and family here. Thanks again!!!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! There's nothing worse than a broken jar in the canner. If it broke while you were placing it in the canner, make certain the water in the canner is just at a low simmer. The temperature change could be causing the issue. If it's breaking during processing times, sometimes it's because the jar has a weak spot. Using a rack may help, but often jars with a weak spot will just give out.
The jars of apple. pie filling will make a great gift!
muddog says
Awesome recipe. I used pears in place of apples. Your instructions are detailed & perfect. Thank you!!
Kathy says
Yay!!! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Deborah says
Hi, I've attempted to try this recipe the past two seasons, and failed. I know I'm doing something wrong and I'm hoping you might know what it is. The problem I've encountered both tries is the seals leak during processing and the filling ends up with hundreds (if not more) of tiny air bubbles.
Kathy says
Hi Deborah,
You may want to try soaking your apples first to help remove the excess air in the apples. All apples are different and if the apples contain a lot of air it will come out during the processing. I do this when I can my peach pie filling. I'm including a link to the NCFHP with the method they use.
I hope that helps.
Kathy
Diane M. Mitchell says
Blanch your apples. There is a lot of extra fluid and can be air in the apples themselves. That can cause air and fluid to come out during processing and mess up your filling.
Jessica says
I bought a big bag of fresh lemons thinking it would perfect for canning apples. I do not have lemon juice from the bottle. I have lime juice from the bottle. I know lemons and limes are different in taste & possibly in citrus? What do you think of replacing lemon juice for lime juice? I do not want to make it odd since I'm making a big 12 quart jars, I would appreciate any feedback. 🙂 Thank you! ❤️
Kathy says
Hi Jessica,
I haven't ever tried lime juice, but I did some quick google searches about using lime juice. First, it's safe to use in canning. Second, many sites say lime and apples tastes great together. I'd say give it a try. Let me know how it turns out.
Kathy