Are you always running around on Thanksgiving trying to get everything timed perfectly? This amazing apple pie filling recipe is probably the best thing you can do now to take some of the stress off come Thanksgiving day!

October is the time we start turning our attention from all of the lovely vegetables in our garden to the fall fruits out in the orchard. Actually, our apple trees ripen a little earlier than many fall varieties. We grow Gala Apples and warm-climate Honeycrisp Apples, both of which are sweet varieties perfect for eating fresh or making into pies and jams.

Wait! You say. If the apples are ready for picking early, how is it that you make ‘home-grown‘ apple pies at Thanksgiving? Well, I’m glad you asked. I actually make the apple pie filling ahead of time. Two months ahead of time. I hot-water-bath can the filling. Canning allows me to not only use our own orchard apples, but it has also saved me more than once when space is at a premium in the oven on the big day.

Bourbon Apple Pie Filling

This recipe is amazing because the apples are hot-packed fresh and stay crisp in the cornstarch until you are ready to make your pie. And the bourbon adds a lovely sophisticated note to the pie. You can always omit the bourbon if you prefer and substitute with more water. We love the flavor it infuses to the apples, though.

When you can the apple pie filling in late summer, all you have to do to finish the most wonderful, hot bubbly homemade apple pie is to dump the pre-made apple pie filling into your pie crust and bake. This way you can really focus on the bird and the stuffing and all the other good stuff.

We also love putting this apple filling mixture on top of ice cream. Instead of apple pie ala mode, we call it ice cream ala pie!!

This recipe also makes for a fabulous gift. Who doesn’t love homemade goodies! Just add a beautiful piece of fabric to the lid and tie it in place with a small ribbon or piece of twine.

This bourbon apple pie filling recipe makes 2 quart jars of filling, which is enough for one extra tall, large pie or two flat, medium pies. I like my pies to be stuffed tall. If you make lots of pies, you can easily double this recipe.

Prepping the Apples

You must peel and core all of the apples for this recipe. As I am working on the apples, I like to toss the peeled apple wedges into a large bowl of ice water which has about a tablespoon of lemon juice in it. The cold water keeps the apples crisp, and the lemon keeps them from oxidizing (turning brown).

Also, I cut my apple slices quite thick. Each apple gets cut into 6 – 8 slices only. This is important because the filling spends a lot of time in the canner. If you cut the wedges really thin, they will get mushy.

What You’ll Need for the Canning:

If this is your first time canning, read up on the basics at the USDA Home canning site first, as this article does not go into full detail for first-timers.

• 2 quart jars, lids and bands. Wide mouth jars work best for the big apple chunks.
• Jar tongs
• Ladle
• Funnel
• Water bath canner

Ingredients

• 6 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • Be sure to cut the apples thick, 6-8 slices per apple, to ensure consistency during the canning process.
• 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 Cup cornstarch
• 1 t cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• Vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
• 3 Cups water
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 Cup Bourbon

Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Instructions – Making the Filling

1. Prepare the apples (peeling, coring, slicing). Remember to put the sliced apples in a lemon juice cold water bath to keep them from oxidizing and turning brown!
2. Bring a water bath canner to a boil. Sterilize your jars, lids and bands. The recipe does not take very long so the canner should be ready to go before you start.
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the water and blend everything together. It is really important to put the dry ingredients in first prior to adding water and heat so that the cornstarch will dissolve.
4. Turn on the heat and bring to boiling, stirring as needed. Boil until thick and bubbly. Lower the heat to a low simmer and add the lemon juice and half of bourbon. (Reserve the other half to add just before ladling into the jars for extra flavor)
5. Add the apples and the scooped out inside of your vanilla bean. (You can also substitute a 1 teaspoon bottled vanilla, if you prefer). Keep on low heat for about 5 more minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
6. Turn off heat. Add the remainder of the bourbon and stir well.

Instructions – Canning

1. Ladle the hot apple mixture into 2 hot, sterilized quart jars. Pack tightly! Make sure to divide the cornstarch mixture evenly between the two jars. It should completely cover the apples. Remove any air bubbles. Leave about an inch headspace. Depending upon your altitude, you may need to increase this to up to 1 3/4 inches.
   • It is recommended to increase the headspace by ⅛ inch for every 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the sea-level.
2. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, dampened paper towel. Adjust the lids to finger-tight and process in a water bath canner for 25 minutes, again adjusting for altitude if necessary. (Start the timer once the water bath canner is back up to a full boil)

Note about leakage

Note that this recipe, like applesauce, is more viscous than tomato sauce or hot-packed fruit. Therefore it tends to be more susceptible to leakage when you pull the jars out of the canner. After turning off the heat, you may wish to leave the jars in the canner for about 2 minutes, to allow them to more slowly cool. When removing them from the canner, handle them extremely gently, and be extra careful not to tip them sideways.

How to Make Apple Pie with this Apple Pie Filling Recipe

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Pour the contents of two quart jars into a prepared (but uncooked) pie crust. You can either buy a ready-made pie crust from the freezer section of your grocery store or make your own from scratch. Heap the apples high in the center of the pie.

Cover the whole pie with more pie crust, either a sheet or a lattice. Or, you could also make a crumble topping. Check out my apple crisp recipe for instructions on how to make the crumble topping.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, adjusting for altitude.

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