Apple Pie Filling

Having apple trees is a good thing when you want to do some apple pie filling.  My family really likes this recipe and I bottle it every year. 

I like to start with the sauce so it will be ready to pour over the apples. 

Apple Pie Filling
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup corn starch
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
10 cups water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Place dry ingredients in a large sauce pan and stir together.  Add water and place over medium high heat.  Stir until smooth.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thick. (usually a few minutes after it simmers)  Add the lemon juice.  Keep warm.  This recipe should fill 7 quarts.

Peel, core and slice the apples.  You can use a variety of apples.  Most of them work well.  I used Golden Delicious.  If you have one of these handy, dandy apple peelers, you'll save a lot of time. 

Pack quart jars tightly with the peeled, sliced apples.  Don't let the apples stand too long, or they will turn brown.  Pour sauce slowly over apples until it has settled around each slice and is to the first rim of the jar.

Wipe off tops of jars and put on lid and the band.  Process 25 minutes in a boiling water canner.

One quart jar of filling will make an 8" pie.  You can also make apple crunch or apple cake. Warm it up and put it over ice cream, or just eat it out of the jar!  YUM!