An easy step by step tutorial for beginners on Canning Apple Pie Filling. This simple guide teaches you how to preserve a low-sugar apple pie filling recipe in a water bath canner.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve reached the tail end of canning for this season, and I’m so excited that it’s almost over. For reals yo. Just a few batches of this canned apple pie filling, and I’m done!
Just like Canning Peaches or Canning Tomatoes screams “it’s summer”, canning apples heralds the starts of fall.
Can You Can Apple Pie Filling?
Yes, and there are many different ways to do so. Recipes for canned apple pie filling used to include flour or cornstarch, but the canning experts have determined that is an unsafe canning practice. You cannot use flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, or potato starch for your pie filling prior to canning.
For people who prefer a pre-thickened pie filling, you can use Clear Jel to create a traditional filling. Follow these steps for a safe and tested recipe.
The recipe I am sharing today is for a mostly unsweetened filling that hasn’t been thickened. My preference is to keep the apples as close to their fresh state as possible. Doing so gives you more options for how to use them at a later time.
What Kind of Apples Are Best For Pie Filling?
Due to the nature of how the apples will be cooked during the canning process, you want to use a firm apple that will hold its shape. Fuji, Cortland, Jonagold, or Winesap are all solid choices.
If you have leftover apples (yay!), try your hand at Canning Applesauce, freeze apples, learn about dehydrating apples, or make a quick batch of Cinnamon Apples.
How to Use Home Canned Pie Filling
The possibilities are endless! You can make apple pie (obvs), use it for apple crisp, as a topping for instant pot yogurt, as the starring ingredient in Cinnamon Pretzel Bites With Apple Syrup, apple pie egg rolls, apple pie pancakes, or whole wheat muffins. Add it to fresh oatmeal or sprinkle some granola over the top for a sweet and crunchy breakfast.
Two quarts of the homemade canned pie filling will fill a 9-inch pie. To use: drain the apples, toss with your preferred pie seasonings (I use 1/2 cup brown sugar (related: how to make brown sugar), 1 tablespoon of organic cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg) and bake as normal.
How Long Does Homemade Apple Pie Filling Last?
I use my home canned goods within one year of canning. Of course, use common sense and monitor your jars for signs of spoilage, unsealed jars, etc.
Canning Supply List
Check out this in-depth post for a complete list of canning supplies.
- Apples! You’ll need about 21 lbs per 7 quarts.
- At least two large bowls.
- Large pot of water for parboiling the apples
- Canner: simple water bath canner, or even a huge stockpot with a rack in the bottom.
- Canning tongs/jar lifter
- Jars – quarts or pints.
- Lids and rings
- Wide mouth funnel
- Cutting board
- Lemon juice or citric acid
- Slotted spoon
- Strainer/colander
- Chef’s knife
- Ladle
- Butter knife or plastic chopstick
- Comfortable shoes. Don’t do this barefoot. Your back will hate you.
- Clean washcloths and at least one thick clean towel.
Here’s How to Make It {Step by Step}:
*A printable and detailed recipe card is available at the bottom of the post.
Canning Prep
Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water. You just need to have enough water to cover the jars by 2 inches once the water is boiling.
Set the canner on the stove. Turn the burner to high. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to a simmer. You want to keep the water hot so that everything is ready when the apples are.
Wash and gently heat your jars. You’ll want to keep them warm to avoid having them crack when placed in the canner. You can fill them with hot water, or place them on a tray in the oven at 170 degrees F.
Wash your lids and set aside in a clean place. You no longer need to simmer lids in water to keep them sterile. Woot!
Apple Prep
Fill a bowl with cold water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice (or 2 tsp of citric acid). Set up your workstation with a peeler, cutting board, sharp knife, and a bowl for the peels and cores.
Clean your apples, and peel, core, and slice the apples thinly. If using a hand-cranked peeler, put the apple on the spikes and lock the peeler into place. Turn the crank slowly, and the peeler will begin to remove the skin.
Place the peeled apple on a cutting board and cut down once the middle. You’ll now have perfect apple slices.
Using a normal vegetable peeler? Cut the top and base off of the apple and remove the peel. Core the apple and make thin uniform slices.
Place the slices in the water/juice mixture.
Once you have a bunch of slices soaking, combine water and sugar (optional) in a large saucepan and bring to a low boil.
Cook the apple slices in batches in the hot syrup, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Transfer the cooked apples into your hot and sterile canning jars. Pro tip: I found that tongs worked the best for this.
Return the canner back to high on the stove and bring the water back to boiling.
Cover the apples with some of the hot water or syrup, allowing for 1/2 inch of headspace. Headspace is defined as the space between the top of the food and the top of the jar.
Use a wet clean rag and wipe the rim of the jars to make sure it is free of any food.
Place a clean lid on the jar and tighten the ring to fingertip tight (tight enough that it won’t come off, but not so tight that a normal person couldn’t budge it).
Once the water in the canner is boiling, gently place your jars in one at a time using tongs (I prefer canning tongs, but you can use any rubber-tipped tongs).
Once your jars (typically 6-7 quart jars can fit in the canner) are completely covered with the boiling water, put the lid on and boil for 20 minutes (pints or quarts). For canning at different altitudes, check out this guide for adjusted processing times.
When the time is up, turn off the stove and let the jars sit for 5 minutes in the canner and then lift them out with canning tongs. Place on a towel where they can sit undisturbed for 12 hours.
Pretty soon you’ll start hearing some “pops and pings” which are the sounds of the jars sealing. Yay!! You did it!
After a few hours, to check for sealing, gently press down in the middle of the lid. If the lid has no give, it’s sealed. If you can press the lid in and it pops a bit, your jars are not sealed. You can reprocess them or store them in the fridge or freezer (only freeze jars that are wide mouth).
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
- You’ll need about 21 pounds of apples for canning 7 quarts.
- This canned pie filling can be frozen in wide-mouth canning jars. Leave 1.5 inches of headspace in the jars to allow for expansion during freezing. Allow to fully cool in the jar before freezing.
- If you don’t have enough jars to fill the canner, consider Canning Water in a few jars to stock your emergency drinking water supplies.
Pin this recipe for later
Canning Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 21 pounds apples
- 12 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with cold water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice (or 2 tsp of citric acid). Set up your workstation with a peeler, cutting board, sharp knife, and a bowl for the peels and cores.1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- Clean your apples, and peel, core, and slice the apples thinly.21 pounds apples
- Once you have a bunch of slices soaking, combine water and sugar (optional) and bring to a low boil.12 cups water, 2 cups sugar
- Cook the apple slices in batches in the hot syrup, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Transfer the cooked apples into your hot and sterile canning jars. Pro tip: I found that tongs worked the best for this.
- Cover the apples with some of the hot water or syrup, allowing for 1/2 inch of headspace.
- Use a wet clean rag and wipe the rim of the jars to make sure it is free of any food.
- Place a clean lid on the jar and tighten the ring to fingertip tight.
- Once the water is boiling, gently place your jars in one at a time using tongs. Once your jars are completely covered with the boiling water, put the lid on and boil for 20 minutes (pints or quarts).
- When the time is up, turn off the stove and let the jars sit for 5 minutes in the canner and then lift them out with canning tongs. Place on a towel where they can sit undisturbed for 12 hours.
- After a few hours, to check for sealing, gently press down in the middle of the lid. If the lid has no give, it’s sealed. If you can press the lid in and it pops a bit, your jars are not sealed. You can reprocess them or store them in the fridge or freezer (only freeze jars that are wide mouth).
Notes
Shop this Post:
(may include affiliate links)
Thank you for the recipe. Can this be safely frozen in zip-lock freezer bags instead of canning jars? And, I am reducing the amount of sugar in my cooking, can the amount of sugar in this recipe be reduced and still be safe?
Yes, it can be frozen, but the apples will likely be pretty mushy upon thawing. If that works for you, then go for it!
And if you’re freezing it instead of canning, you are able to use whatever amount of sugar you’d prefer.
Could you use honey for this recipe instead of sugar, do you think?
Yes, absolutely! Though I would use cheaper honey since the canning process would kill the beneficial properties of the more expensive/raw honey.
The recipe calls for 12 cups of water and 2 CUPS of sugar. The instructions (item # 5] say you use 6 QUARTS of water/cup of sugar ???
Hi Liz, looks like a typo – the 6 quarts should be cups. I’ll fix now. Thanks!
Can’t wait to can some pie filling!! I didn’t realize you could can apples so that they will be so versatile later. I’ve never wanted to have just apple pie filling.
Also- the Apple corer/peeler/slicer you linked to – I bought it a few weeks ago to dehydrate apples (per your recipe) and wow!! It’s magical! And it is so much better than my previous clamp-on peeler!! Thanks for the recommendation.
“Just” apple pie filling is so limiting!
Yes, that corer thing is so rad and easy! I’ve had mine for like 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Thanks! What a great post! After making tons of applesauce with sweeter apples I was left with about 100 pounds of granny smith apples. I figured I need an easy way to quickly preserve them to make into apple pie. I’m glad I found your blog! This is my first couple days of canning .
I love your blog! I haven’t had time to read ALL the posts yet…but have you tried crock-pot applebutter…seriously! Easiest thing ever! Wash the apples or pears work also for this (but then it’s pear butter!). DO NOT PEEL! Cut out any spots you don’t like…quarter…at an angle…cut out the core! Throw unpeeled fruit into the crockpot…add apple juice about 3 cups…turn on medium and let it cook all night! House smells wonderful! Next day, add cinnamon, apple pie spices, brown sugar (abt 2 cups)…some vanilla…and remove the lid, (if there’s too much liquid)…take a stick blender and blend up. Just like Grandma’s apple butter from long ago! Can it in jars. Pressure can for about 10 minutes at 15 lbs. Makes great gifts also!
Oh yes, yes I have! ;-D
https://www.sustainablecooks.com/2011/11/apple-butter-in-crockpot.html
But I don’t add any juice.