Apple Pie Filling

10 c. water
4 1/2 c. sugar
3 heaping tsp. cinnamon
1 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Bring all ingredients to a boil except for lemon juice. Boil it until it is clear and thickens. Add lemon juice.

Peel, core and slice apples (Pampered Chef has a gadget that does all of these steps at the same time... it is great!). Fill quart bottles 1/2 full of apples then cover apples with filling (work with just one jar at a time). Fill the rest of the jar with apples and then more filling leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top. Put lids on jars and process for 20 minutes.


Topping for Apple Crisp

1 c. oats
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 cube melted butter

Mix together and sprinkle over Apple pie filling (1 qt. jar) in 9x9 inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

This pie filling is SO much better than anything you can buy in the stores! It takes some time but it is so worth it!

Note: Update October 2017
Ball says that cornstarch is no longer safe for canning. It is recommended to substitute the cornstarch with clear gel or ultra gel. When using these products, you will need to increase it from a cup of cornstarch to 1 1/2 cups of ultra gel. I haven't tried the pie filling with clear gel yet, just the ultra gel.