Apple Pie Filling for Canning

Pie making is something that I have always enjoyed.  It would never cross my mind to ever buy canned apple pie filling.  My grandmother and mother always used fresh apples with great success so I never thought about deviating from the tried and true.  That is until my husband announced he wanted me to try using canned apple pie filling.  I laughed at him and told him he didn't know what he was talking about.  That was like me going into the garage and telling him what tool to use for a project that I didn't know anything about.  I was mentioning Ron's request to my cousin on the phone and she told me she tried this recipe since she had to go gluten free and she loved it.  Well, my cousin is someone who I could trust.  She was raised on my grandmothers delicious apple pie too, and if she loved it I thought I should give it a try.  My efforts were not in vain.  The filling is easy to make and I love it that I have a bunch on hand to make a pie in a moments notice.  I have posted pie crust earlier on this blog if you want to do the shell from scratch.  This also tastes great right from the jar or over ice-cream.  The recipe can be made sugar free by using honey instead of sugar.  I have done it both ways and have found using honey is just a little less sweet tasting.  The honey is definitely a good choice for a diabetic, but I did prefer the sugar.

You will need:
4 1/2 cups of sugar OR 2 cups honey, 1 cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, 10 cups water (not pictured), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 quart sized jars with lids and band

Peel, core and thinly slice apples and fill the jars.

Mix all the ingredients except for the lemon juice in a large pot and cook until thick on medium heat.  Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Pour mixture over prepared apples in jars.

Heat your lids in simmering water for 2 minutes.  Place a lid on each jar and then screw on the band.

Place all the jars on the rack of a hot water bath pot and lower the rack. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars.

Once the water comes to a boil, set your timer for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes lift the rack up and take the jars out.  Place on a bath towel on your counter and wait for them to cool.  When they are cooled make sure all the lids "popped".  You can tell if they are processed correctly if you don't hear a "click" when you press down.  Don't press down on the lid until they are completely cooled to check it out.  You now have most of the work done to make 6 apple pies!