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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 I love Canning Apple Pie Filling
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.
What apples are best for Canned Apple Pie Filling?
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.
What is 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.
How to make apple pie filling for canning
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.
How to can apple pie filling
Before filling jars:
- Use clean canning jars
- Select the best fruit you can find (you can cut off any small bruised areas)
Filling jars:
- 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
Boiling jars:
- 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.
After canning:
- 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 |
Recipes using canned apple pie filling
Use the canned apple pie filling in any recipe calling for apple pie filling. Some delicious ideas include:
- Cobbler - Use the pie filling in place of the peach filling in this recipe.
- Oatmeal Bars - Replace the applesauce with pie filling.
- Caramel Apple Pie Dip
Canning apple pie filling FAQs
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 Recipe for Canning
Equipment
- Quart Canning Jars
- Large Canning Pot
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.
Katrina says
Is it possible to omit the clearjel intirely?
Kathy says
Hi Katrina,
The clearjel is your thickening agent. I'm not certain how this would turn out without using it.
Kathy
Diann Steffens says
Can brown sugar be used for a more Carmel flavor?
Kathy says
Hi Diann,
I have not used brown sugar before, but it shouldn't be a problem to substitute it. Let me know how it turns out.
Kathy 🙂
Barbara Hallett Wegner says
I just made a braided apple strudel with the canned apple pie. OMG it was so good. Store-bought puffed pastry it took me 10 minutes to make and 15+ minutes to cook it was a show stopper and my guest thought it was the BEST. I have to say it was gone in less than 10 minutes as everyone went for seconds.
Kathy says
That's a great use of the pie filling! Love that it was a huge hit!!! 🙂
Katelynne Roberts says
I noticed you are using quart jars, how many pies do 1 quart make. If I use pint jar will that be enough filling for a pie?
Kathy says
Hi Katelynne,
I guess that would depend on the size of the pie. The quart jars hold 4 cups of filling. Most 9" pies hold 4-6 cups of filling and an 8" pie plate will hold about 4 cups of filling. A pint jar only holds 2 cups. If you were wanting to do mini sized pies, that would work.
Kathy
Terry says
Can I substitute cornstarch for the clear jell?
Kathy says
Hi Terry,
Cornstarch is not recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They state, "Clear Jel® is a chemically modified corn starch that produces excellent sauce consistency even after fillings are canned and baked. Other available starches break down when used in these pie fillings, causing a runny sauce consistency."
Kathy
Brooke says
You cannot use any other thickener while canning, it will not stay stable. It’s possible to leave the clear jel out and add either flour or corn starch before cooking your pie. I purchased some on Amazon for fairly cheap. If I go through the work of canning it I personally don’t want to have to do anything else when I open the jar, other than pour.
Kathy says
Thank you 🙂
Linda says
Can apple pie spice be used in this recipe? If so how much? Thank you,
Kathy says
Hi Linda,
Yes you can use apple pie spice instead of the ground cinnamon and nutmeg. I'd add 4 teaspoons.
Thanks,
Kathy 🙂
Linda says
Thank you.
Barbara Hallett Wegner says
Hi I am making this tomorrow waiting for my clear jel to come. Question: I am trying to figure out how many pounds of apples peeled and cord? If I do the math right it's 8.13?? I know you said around 30 apples, but my apples are very different sizes. Thanks can't wait to make this I am sure it will be a 5 star.
Kathy says
Hi Barbara,
My apples were medium sized apples. I'm afraid I don't know the weight peeled and cored. I think your best bet would be to peel and quarter enough for 4 cups of apples (1 quart) and then figure how many apples you used. This recipe needs 6 quarts of peeled, cored and sliced apples so multiply the amount for one quart by 6.
Let me know how it turns out!
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Barbara Hallett Wegner says
Thanks Kathy, after I make this I will let you know out many pounds of apples for 6 quarts. I am going to double this one.
Kathy says
That would be great! 🙂
Barbara Hallett Wegner says
Yes, this is pan licking good. Using my kitchen scale 6 quarts equals 24 cups and weighed 7 pounds 11 oz so around 8 pounds of peeled, cored apples. I did borrow an apple peeler and corer it did save a ton of time and all cut around the same size, but would have liked the apples a little thicker but this is such a time saver.
Kathy says
Thanks for the detailed info! I agree, the apple peeler does save a ton of work. I don't know if there's a way to adjust the size of the slices on some peelers... that would be a great feature!
Getina says
I have found that 6 quarts of apples is about 10 lbs. I buy my apples by the box. My box is 40 lbs and it makes 4 batches. With 6 quart jar of finished product per batch. My 40 lbs made 24 quart jars.
Kathy says
Hi Getina,
Thanks for the info! Very helpful!!!
Kathy 🙂
Lisa says
Could this just be frozen after it’s made instead of canning?
Kathy says
Hi Lisa,
Yes, you can freeze this pie filling instead of canning it.
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Vanessa says
Just wondering can you substitute the water with unsweetened apple juice?
Kathy says
Hi Vanessa,
Yes, you can use apple juice instead of water.
Enjoy,
Kathy
Jennifer says
Your recipe does not say how much clear gel to use.
Kathy says
Hi Jennifer,
You need 1 1/2 cups of clear jel. I was updating the recipe yesterday adding the note about not using instant clear jel and I must have inadvertently deleted the ingredient! Thanks for letting me know. I've added it back in.
Let me know how it turns out!
Kathy 🙂
Darlene Hunter says
When you get ready to make a pie do you put the filling in a raw pie crust and bake more or do you put filling in a baked pie crust and it ready to eat?
Kathy says
Hi Darlene,
You can use it either way.
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Gina says
If there were a higher rating I would give it! Delish! Litteraly scraped the pot and ate it! Out of nutmeg but used pumpkin pie spice and as one comment suggested sub in apple juice.
Kathy says
Thanks so much!!! I'll admit I've done my fair share of scraping the pot to eat every last little bit too! Glad the apple juice worked for you, I think it's a great idea!
Kathy 🙂
Joe says
Hi I'm new to canning and I just got back from a day trip up the hudson valley in NY with over 80 pounds of apples.
Could I cut this recipe in half? It seems like I could since the apples don't actually cook in the liquid, they just heat through. Also Do you know how many quart jars this recipe yields? Apologies if I missed it.
Kathy says
Hi Joe,
This recipe yield 6 quarts and yes, you can cut this recipe in half!
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Ray says
This looks great! I can’t wait to try it!
Would it be okay to add some spices to the recipe? I always put ginger, allspice, and cloves in my apple pie filling.
Also could brown sugar be used as well as white?
My hope is to use my apple pie filling recipe that I love but be able to can it!
Kathy says
Totally fine to add spices and I don't see any issues using brown sugar!
Enjoy 🙂
Mary says
2questions. Could I substitute honey for all or part of the. Sugar and where does the fat come in in your nutrition count? Am I missing something?
Kathy says
Hi Mary,
I have not used honey before when canning. Here is a great article from Simply Canning that discusses how to use honey.
As far as the fat, the nutritional value is estimated through a nutritional counter. I will have to look into it a bit more to see why it added fat.
Kathy says
According to the USDA, apples do have a trace amount of fat. I've attached an article that shows the complete nutritional value for a gala apple. One gala apple has .15 grams of fat.
Elyse says
How big of a pie will one jar make?
Kathy says
Hi Elyse,
One jar has 4 cups of filling and will be perfect for an 8" pie.
Enjoy 🙂
Stephanie says
How long do you think they will stay in the refrigerator? 18 months also or less?
Kathy says
If you didn't use a hot water bath to process your jars, the filling will only be good for a week in the refrigerator.
MS says
I had a pretty hard time blending the clear gel with water. My first batch was too clumpy and I had to dump it out of the pot(thankfully no apples were added), and the second batch was really clumpy too. To fix it, I threw the cold water/spice/gel mixture into the blender and the clear gel dissolved much better. Problem solved!!!
Kathy says
I have not had that issue with clear jel before. I appreciate you letting us know what works in case anyone else runs into the same problem.
Thanks 🙂
Kathy says
Any chance you were using instant Clear jel? It does work differently than regular Clear jel and may cause the issues you had.
Jenice says
An immersion blender works well too and easier than dumping out into the blender- -if you happen to have one that is.
Susan P says
I made a similar recipe recently. I found that simply whisking the clearjel mixture as it heated worked. I also mixed the clear jel with the sugar before adding the water.
Kathy says
Thank you for your tip!
Shannon says
Kathy,
This is a wonderful recipe! I am fairly new to canning and I was so happy with how this turned out! My husband sampled the filling before jarring and said it was delicious. I especially loved how you listed the recipe with the instructions and ingredients together, saved me the trouble of scrolling up and down between the two. It’s the little things. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Kathy says
Shannon,
Thanks so much for your comment and great job on diving into canning! It's such a rewarding process! My boys have been know to eat spoonful of the pie filling right out of the jar! 🙂
Kathy
Cindy says
So it’s okay to sub apple cider for the water and fresh lemon juice instead of bottled lemon juice?
Kathy says
Hi Cindy,
It's okay to use apple cider instead of water. However, I'd be cautious about using fresh lemon juice. In this case the acidity from the lemons is needed to make the apple pie filling safe for water bath canning. Sometimes fresh lemon juice can vary in their acidity levels. Bottled lemon juice is uniformly acidified with a PH of 5 percent. Here's a great article explaining lemon juice.
Let me know how everything works out!
Baswick says
Is it acceptable to reduce the amount of clear jel? I used the 1 1/2 cups per recipe, but it was very thick. Could I reduce by 1/2 cup? Has anyone tried this?
Kathy says
Hi,
It is okay to reduce the amount of clear jel. You could also add additional water, if you feel the filling is too thick.
Kathy 🙂
Baswick says
Marvelous! I added a couple of cups more liquid this time around. I used 4 cups water and 6 cups apple cider and had a few more apples. I'm hoping the apple cider adds flavour intensity. I'm from Canada and clear jel is very hard to find here, but scored some on the weekend.I'm thrilled with your recipe, so thank you!
Kathy says
That's great!!! The cider should definitely add more flavor. Thanks for the update! 🙂