Make Apple Pie Filling

Apple pie is a traditional American food; however, recipes for this favorite desert vary greatly depending upon the apples that are used, the shelf life of the filling and other personal preferences. You should choose your apple pie filling recipe based on how quickly you will bake it, or experiment with several variations of apple pies.

Steps

Fresh Apple Pie Filling

  1. Choose your apples. The type of apple you choose dictates whether it is best to pre-cook the apples or add uncooked apples and bake them once with the pie.
    • Use Golden, Spartan, McIntosh and Rome apples if you would prefer not to pre-bake them. These types of apples tend to break down quickly in an oven.
    • Use Granny Smiths, Honeycrisp or Gala apples if you would prefer to pre-bake apples. They are denser and may be too crisp if they are not pre-baked before adding them to the pastry.
  2. Peel and core apples.
    • Core the apples using an apple corer with serrated edges. Insert the corer into the center of the apple. Turn it 360 degrees, and then pull out the core.
    • Use a vegetable peeler or an apple-peeling machine to thoroughly peel approximately 7 very large apples or 12 small apples.
    • If you have apples in many different sizes, aim for approximately 4 cups (684g) of sliced apples.
  3. Slice the apples.
    • Use a mandolin to thinly slice the apples, if you are not planning on pre-cooking your apples. Thinner slices will bake down more quickly.
    • Cut slices with a knife, if you plan to pre-bake them. Pre-baked apples can be up to 1/2 inch (1.3cm) thick.
  4. Pre-cook your apples. Pre-cooked apples are slightly sweeter, but the method you use to precook them will determine their crisp texture after baking.
    • Choose to blanch your apples. You can either drop them into boiling water for 1 minute, or the Food Lab suggests pouring boiling water into a bowl full of sliced apples and letting them sit for 10 minutes before draining. In this method, the pectin in the apples will become a heat-stable form, allowing them to retain some structure and crispiness.
    • Choose to cook them on the stove, if you prefer apple pie filling that is less crispy. Place your apples in a Dutch oven heated to medium heat. #*Stir them occasionally while they heat for 10 minutes.
    • If you choose not to pre-cook your apples, mix them with the juice and zest of 1 lemon immediately after slicing them.
  5. Mix your sugar and spices. Add 3/4 cup (141g) of light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (31g) of all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp. (2g) ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. (.6g) ground nutmeg in a bowl.
  6. Add the sugar mixture to your heated apples or to fresh apples coated in lemon juice.
  7. Add the apple filling mixture to a pie crust immediately. If you want to make filling that can be refrigerated, frozen or canned, you should use the next method.
    • Beat an egg to make an egg wash. Brush it over the top pie crust. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and granulated sugar.
    • Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius). Cook the pie for 5 minutes. Watch the oven carefully and tent the crust, if it is starting to burn.

Apple Pie Filling for Canning or Freezing

  1. Core, peel and slice 4 cups (684g) of apples. Use an apple corer, vegetable peeler and mandolin to save time during the preparation process.
    • Juice 1 lemon. Pour the juice into a bowl. Toss the sliced apples with the apple juice as you slice the rest of the apples.
    • Lemon juice keeps the apples from turning brown immediately.
  2. Blanche your apples.
    • Stick them in boiling water for 1 minute.
    • Alternatively, you can pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 10 minutes to keep them crisper longer. Drain them well and set them aside.
  3. Mix your thickener, sugar and spices. Add 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (40g) of Clear Jel canning thickener, 1/2 tsp. (1.3g) of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. (0.3g) of nutmeg to a large, unheated saucepan.
    • Clear Jel canning thickener is used in place of cornstarch or flour. #*This specialty product is a modified form of cornstarch and it is safe to use for canning and storing foods.
    • Mix these dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.
  4. Pour in 3/4 cup (177ml) of apple juice and 1/2 cup (118ml) of cold water. Stir your sugar mixture into your liquid mixture with the wooden spoon.
  5. Heat your mixture on medium high heat.
    • Stir the mixture regularly while it heats.
  6. Add the apples. Once the liquid sugar mixture reaches a simmer, add the drained, blanched apples to the saucepan.
    • Stir the apple mixture.
    • Wait until the apples are heated through, approximately 5 minutes.
  7. Can the apple pie filling.
    • Sterilize your jars before canning them. After washing them in the dishwasher, place them in a boiling hot water bath for 10 minutes.
    • Pour the hot apple pie filling into hot canning jars using a funnel and ladle.
    • Pour apple pie filling into plastic containers for freezing.
    • Place sterilized jars and lids on the apple pie filling jars. Place them in a water bath for 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. Open a can of apple pie filling. Place it into a pastry crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).

Apple Pie Variations

  1. Use cornstarch in place of flour. You can make fresh apple pie filling using a stove top, if you would rather use cornstarch than flour.
    • Combine 1 cup (236ml) of water, 1 tbsp. (15ml) of apple juice, 1 cup (200g) of sugar and 1/4 cup (32g) of cornstarch with your spices in a saucepan.
    • Heat on medium, stirring regularly. Remove from heat when thickened and bubbly.
  2. Add 1/4 tsp. (5ml) of vanilla extract. Pour this extract over your blanched or fresh apples before you mix them with sugar.
  3. Make Dutch apple pie filling. Use these traditional apple pie fillings with a pie crust and a crumb mixture.
    • A Dutch apple pie is covered with an oat crumb mixture, rather than a second pastry crust.
    • Add the fresh pie filling to your bottom crust. Combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, 1/2 cup (95g) of packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup (39g) of instant oats and 1/3 cup (79ml) of melted butter. Mix it together with your hands.
    • Place the Dutch apple pie crumbs on the top of the apple pie filling before baking.
  4. Make a skillet apple pie.
    • Pour your apple pie filling into a cast iron pan.
    • Place a single pie crust on the top. Push the edges down and slit the top of the crust 4 times.
    • Bake inside your oven, according to traditional pie crust temperature and time. Check it regularly to tent the crust when necessary.
  5. Mix apple pie with cheese. If you want to try a twist on a non-traditional recipe, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (20 to 40g) of shredded aged cheddar or Comte Swiss cheese.
    • Place the cheese over the filling, and then cover it with a pie crust  or pastry lattice.
  6. Finished.



Things You'll Need

  • 7 large or 12 small apples
  • Knife
  • Wooden spoon
  • Vegetable peeler/apple peeler
  • Apple corer
  • Mandolin
  • Lemon
  • Dutch oven
  • Bowls
  • Flour/cornstarch/canning thickener
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Brown sugar
  • Boiling water
  • Saucepan
  • Water
  • Apple juice
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Liquid measuring cups
  • Colander
  • Aged cheese
  • Dutch apple crumb mixture
  • Water bath
  • Sterilized canning jars, lids and rings
  • Cast iron skillet (optional)

Tips

  • If your pastry crust is fragile, you will want to pre-cook your apple filling apples to avoid cracking the crust as the apple pie cooks.
  • Pie cooking times and water bath canning times vary greatly depending upon your elevation. Read the time recommendations on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.

Warnings

  • A Mandolin has very sharp cutting blades.

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Sources and Citations

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