Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 7 quart or 14 pint canning jars in hot soapy water or the dishwasher, keep them hot, and simmer new lids in hot water per manufacturer instructions.
2. 2Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then blanch them in batches in boiling water for 1 minute and keep the drained, blanched slices covered in a bowl to prevent browning while you make the filling base.
3. 3In a very large pot, whisk together the sugar, Clear Jel, and cinnamon (and nutmeg if using) until no lumps remain, then whisk in the cold water and bottled lemon juice until smooth.
4. 4You must use a modified food starch labeled 'Clear Jel' for this recipe rather than ordinary cornstarch or flour, because regular starches break down (thin out or turn gummy and uneven) under the prolonged high heat of boiling-water processing, which can prevent heat from penetrating evenly to the center of the jar and create an unsafe product; Clear Jel is specially engineered to remain stable through that heat.
5. 5Cook the sugar-Clear Jel mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil and thickens into a glossy, translucent gel, then fold in the drained apple slices and return the mixture to a boil, stirring gently for 1 more minute.
6. 6Ladle the hot filling into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace, which is needed because pie filling is dense and needs extra room to allow full heat penetration during processing.
7. 7Remove air bubbles by working a nonmetallic spatula down the inside of the jar in several spots, add more filling if needed to maintain 1 inch headspace, wipe the rims clean of any sticky filling, center the lids, and screw the bands fingertip-tight.
8. 8Process in a boiling-water canner with jars covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water, timing from a full rolling boil, for 25 minutes for quarts (20 minutes for pints), adding 5 minutes at 1,001–3,000 feet, 10 minutes at 3,001–6,000 feet, 15 minutes at 6,001–8,000 feet, or 20 minutes above 8,000 feet.
9. 9Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars to a towel-lined counter and cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; the filling may look loose right after processing but will set to a proper gel as it cools.
10. 10Check seals by pressing the lid centers, remove bands, wipe jars, and label with contents and date; store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year and refrigerate after opening, using within about 1 week.
11. 11Never substitute regular cornstarch, flour, tapioca, or instant pudding mix for the Clear Jel, and do not alter the sugar or lemon juice ratios, since this exact combination is what has been tested safe for boiling-water canning of pie filling.