Looking for a canned apple pie filling recipe that’s easy and delicious? This is the one I use. It gives you jars of filling that are ready for a pie, a crisp, or a batch of turnovers whenever you want one.
The best part comes later in the year. Open a quart, pour it into a crust, and you’ve got a pie in the oven in about ten minutes.
Canned Apple Pie Filling
Each quart jar holds enough filling for one 8 or 9 inch pie. The full batch makes 7 quarts, but if you’re new to this, try a single quart first. Bake a pie with it, taste it, and adjust the sugar and spices for your next batch.
Why This Recipe Uses Clear Jel
Clear Jel is a modified cornstarch made for canning. Regular cornstarch and flour break down during processing and leave you with a runny filling. Clear Jel holds up through canning and again through baking, so the filling stays thick and glossy.
You need cook-type Clear Jel, not instant. The two look almost the same, so check the label. It’s not always on grocery store shelves either, so I’d track it down before you buy a box of apples.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need (exact amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Fresh, firm apples
- Granulated sugar
- Cook-type Clear Jel
- Cinnamon, plus nutmeg if you like it
- Cold water
- Apple juice
- Bottled lemon juice
- Pure food-grade ascorbic acid powder to keep the slices from browning
For equipment, you’ll want a boiling water canner with a rack, quart or pint jars with new lids, a jar lifter, and a big pot for blanching the apples.
Which Apples Work Best?
Firm, crisp apples hold their shape in the jar. The tested recipe names Golden Delicious, Stayman, and Rome as good choices, along with other varieties of similar quality.
If your apples are on the sweet side and lack tartness, the recipe lets you add an extra 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice for every 6 quarts of slices.
How to Can Apple Pie Filling
Get everything set up before you start cooking. Once the Clear Jel thickens, you need to move fast.
- Wash your jars, get the canner heating, and keep the jars hot.
- Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/2 inch slices. Drop them into water with ascorbic acid as you go so they don’t turn brown.
- Blanch the slices 6 cups at a time in a gallon of boiling water. Once the water comes back to a boil, give them 1 minute, then drain. Keep the hot slices covered while you make the sauce.
- In a large pot, stir the sugar, Clear Jel, and cinnamon together, then add the cold water and apple juice. Add nutmeg now if you’re using it.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble.
- Stir in the lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring the whole time.
- Fold in the drained apple slices right away and fill the hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Wipe the rims, add the lids, and process in the boiling water canner. The time depends on your altitude.
Processing Times by Altitude
Pints and quarts get the same processing time in a boiling water canner:
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 25 minutes
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 30 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 35 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 40 minutes
We live in the mountains, so I always check my elevation before I start a batch. If you don’t know yours, a quick search for your town’s elevation will tell you.
What You Can and Can’t Change
You can adjust the sugar and spices to suit your family. That’s it for changes.
Leave the lemon juice amount alone. The NCHFP says it helps control the safety and storage stability of the filling. Don’t swap the Clear Jel for cornstarch or flour, and use fresh apples rather than frozen.
Ways to Use Your Pie Filling
- Apple pie, of course! One quart fills an 8 or 9 inch pie.
- Apple crisp with an oat topping
- Spooned over pancakes, waffles, or vanilla ice cream
- Turnovers or hand pies
Storage Tips
Once the jars cool, check that every lid has sealed. Store the sealed jars somewhere cool and dark. If a jar didn’t seal, put it in the fridge and use it first.
Quick FAQ
Can I use cornstarch instead of Clear Jel?
No. Cornstarch breaks down during canning and the filling turns runny. Clear Jel is the thickener this recipe was tested with.
Can I use less sugar?
Yes. The tested recipe allows you to adjust the sugar and spices to taste. Just don’t change the lemon juice.
Can I make just one jar?
Yes, and it’s a smart way to start. The recipe card notes include amounts for a single quart.
Do I need a pressure canner?
No. Apple pie filling is processed in a boiling water canner.
More Recipes to Try
This recipe follows the tested Apple Pie Filling recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
What’s your favorite way to use apple pie filling? I’d love to hear what you make with it.
Canned Apple Pie Filling
A tested, shelf-stable apple pie filling thickened with Clear Jel. One quart fills an 8 or 9 inch pie.
Ingredients
- 6 quarts blanched, sliced fresh apples
- 5 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cook-type Clear Jel
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups cold water
- 5 cups apple juice
- 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 7 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash jars and keep them hot. Heat water in a boiling water canner.
2. Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place in water with ascorbic acid to prevent browning.
3. Blanch slices 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon of boiling water. Boil 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain and keep the hot slices covered.
4. In a large pot, combine sugar, Clear Jel, and cinnamon. Add cold water and apple juice. Add nutmeg and food coloring if using.
5. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
6. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Fold in the drained apple slices immediately.
8. Fill hot jars without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe rims and apply lids.
9. Process pints or quarts in a boiling water canner: 25 minutes at 0 to 1,000 ft, 30 minutes at 1,001 to 3,000 ft, 35 minutes at 3,001 to 6,000 ft, 40 minutes above 6,000 ft.
10. Let jars cool, then check seals. Refrigerate any jar that didn't seal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 56 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 99Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 0g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.