The Best Simple Apple Pie Filling
Every year our apple tree produces so many apples that we simply can’t eat them all as they ripen. Even when I make pies out of them, I always end up with enough to make at least 10 pies with. And as much as I love comforting fall foods, that is just too many pies to have around. So, I decided to start making the pie filling and freezing it, so I could pull it out and make a ‘fresh’ pie when the opportunity presented itself.
The first time I tried this, I didn’t cook the apples first. I simply threw them in a freezer bag and popped them in the deep freeze. But when the apples thawed, they had a strange spongey texture that was really off-putting to me. I learned this is because the water in them essentially explodes the cells in the fruit which ruins the structure. When you cook fruit or vegetables before freezing, the water is pulled from the plant, preventing the cells from exploding after they freeze.
When choosing the perfect apple for your dessert, be it pie or crisp, a tart apple is my preferred taste because it prevents the filling from getting too sweet. Granny Smith or crab apples work really well, but if you prefer a milder filling, Honeycrisps or Pink Ladies are good varieties to go with.
This recipe is very easy and requires few ingredients. I like to use honey in place of sugar just to reduce the amount of processed sugar in our already sugary desserts, but feel free to substitute the honey out for brown sugar.
Storage
Apple pie filling is great because you can store it several ways, making batch cooking easy. Canning apple pie filling is a great way to preserve the apples for over a year, or you can freeze them if you plan on using them within the next 6 months.
To freeze:
Follow the recipe as usual, but wait for the filling to cool at the end. This is an important step as it will prevent your filling from getting too much condensation. Once cooled, place it in a freezer bag, press flat, making sure to press as much air out as possible.
To can:
sterilize your canning jars and fill them with your apple filling, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
Wipe the rims of the jars clean. Put the seal on and screw the rim on hand tight.
Boil in a water bath for 25 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes.
How to use apple filling
You don't have to use this recipe exclusively for a traditional apple pie. It's also great for apple crumble, apple crisps, hand pies, or just warm it up and top with vanilla ice cream! If you're going to use this for a pie, simply bring it out to thaw, dump it in your pie crust, and bake!
Apple Pie Filling
8 cups apples, peels and chopped or sliced |
1/2 cup honey, more or less to taste (you can sub this out and use 1 cup brown sugar) |
1 tbsp cinnamon |
1/2 tsp nutmeg |
1 tsp salt |
1 1/3 cup water |
2 tbsp cornstarch |
In a large pot, combine the first 6 ingredients and cook on low. Stir constantly to avoid burning the sugar or apples.
When the apples start to soften and release water, pour in the 1 1/3 cup water. Continue to cook, bringing the mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
Combine cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water. Remove apple mix from heat and add cornstarch. Stir mixture until it thickens, adding back to heat on low if necessary.
Once thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool before adding to a prepared pie crust or freezer bag. If Canning, you can divide it out and immediately start the water bath process.
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