How to Make Apple Pie Filling and Preserve it Two Ways

This apple pie filling is one of my favorite ways to use apples in the fall. My neighbor has a bunch of apple trees on his property so we have made it a new tradition to pick a ton of apples every year that we can. We go over there with a few five-gallon buckets and you can’t even tell we took an apple off of those trees! They’re so delicious and it is so fun testing the different varieties of apples as they ripen. Each year we make new memories from my older daughter climbing in the trees to my one-year-old realizing her love of apples while she’s plopped down under the tree eating an entire apple for the first time.

This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but will help us offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we use and would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support! Click ‘HERE’ for more info.

If you find yourself with a few extra apples (or a ton) that you want to preserve for later, read on because you’ll love this apple pie filling recipe for your pies, crisps, & crumbles this year. I’ll give you instructions on how to water bath can your filling or simply freeze it! If you have more apples that you know what to do with be sure to check out this super simple Applesauce recipe & the delicious fall favorite: Apple Butter. Lastly, if you are an apple & fall scents lover, try our Warm Apple Spice soap in our shop.

What You’ll Need for Canning Apple Pie Filling:

• Apples!
• Sugar– I use organic, raw sugar when possible
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg– organic
• Lemon Juice
• Salt
• Clear Jel– this is going to thicken the pie filling and is safe for canning unlike flour or cornstarch
• Quart Jars– I don’t usually buy these from Amazon because they are a lot more expensive, so look for them at Walmart, Farm and Fleet, Menards, etc.
• Lids and Rings for jars- You should use new lids every time you can something new to ensure you get a proper seal. If you have wide-mouth jars, you’re getting wide-mouth lids & rings.
• Apple Peeler/Corer: I LOVE this for peeling, coring, and spiralizing apples all in one step! If you’re peeling and cutting by hand this is an inexpensive tool you should to consider! This one suctions to the table, but I haven’t tried it and I’m not convinced that it would work as it should. If you try it let me know!
• Canning Tools: These tools make canning so much easier
• Waterbath Canner– Mine is similar to this one! There are also bundles where you can get your canner and the tools together and save a little bit.
• Apple picking bucket– It was convenient to have an over-the-shoulder bucket for picking apples, pears, and even berries this year!

Let’s Make It – Instructions on How to Make the Apple Pie Filling

Peel and core the apples using the spiralizing tool mentioned above. Once it’s peeled and cored, cut it into quarters. If you’re canning, put the apple slices into clean quart-sized jars. Pack them down so there’s minimal air pockets. If you’re freezing, add apples to a large bowl.

Combine sugar, clearjel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large pot. Add the water and start heating over medium heat, stirring until it is well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and stir until it is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice.

How to Can the Pie Filling

When you’re almost done preparing your filling, put water in the canner and heat over medium-high heat to start warming the water. Pour the mixture into the jars over the apples, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Use a knife or canning tool to remove any air bubbles in the jars. Wipe the rims with a clean washcloth and put the lids and rings on. Tighten rings to fingertip tight.

Once all the jars are ready put them carefully in the canner using a jar lifter. Water should be covering the jars by 2 inches. Add more water if needed. Put the top on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, process quart jars for 25 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn the heat off and remove the lid. Let the jars sit for 5 minutes, then remove the jars with a jar lifter. Let sit for 12-24 hours, do not tighten the bands if they loosen. After 12-24 hours check for proper seals. Store in a cool, dry place with the rings off. Use approximately 2 quart-sized jars for each large pie or 1 quart-sized jar for a smaller crumble or crisp recipe.

How to Freeze the Pie Filling

Pour the hot filling over the apples and fold to combine, ensuring all apples are covered. Divide the filling into four gallon-sized bags. Each bag should have enough filling for 1 large pie. Use a smaller amount based on the pie, crisp, or crumble you want to make. Seal and label the bags. Allow the bags to cool in the refrigerator and then freeze.

To Can or To Freeze

If you like to preserve the freshness of fruits and veggies while they are in season in your local area, then it is no wonder you should can or freeze them! There are other reasons people choose to preserve, though. If there’s a sale at your grocery store or market, buying in bulk is a great idea, knowing you can save money and preserve what you bought. So, you may ask yourself: should I can or should I freeze my apple pie filling?

Pros and Cons to Canning

• Easier and potentially longer shelf life. I love that I don’t have to take up precious storage space in my freezer when I can things. Once the jars are sealed, they are good for about a year.
• No need to thaw, just grab and go when you’re ready to use your pie filling.
• Canned pie fillings make GREAT gifts! Add a cute little tag and you are good to go with an easy pie in a jar. All your gift recipient will have to do is all the filling to a pie crust and they’ve got a delicious homemade pie.
• No plastic. I love that with canning I don’t have to rely on keeping food in a plastic bag.
• The canning process takes more time than freezing and you need special equipment (a waterbath canner & some canning tools)
• You have to ensure the recipe you’re using is safe for canning because not all ingredients can or should be canned! Make sure you’re using trusted and tested recipes.

Pros and Cons to Freezing

• Easier and faster! No need for special tools, just throw your pie filling into a gallon-sized ziplock bag and you’re good to go.
• The texture may be preserved more when freezing because the pie filling isn’t being heated.
• You can pretty much freeze any ingredient so there are less restrictions than canning.
• Slowly prep time. I often bake on a whim so having to take the pie filling out of the freezer and wait a day for it to thaw often cramps my style. This isn’t a deal breaker though!
• While convenient and sometimes I do it, I don’t love having to use plastic bags to freeze things in. I know you can freeze in glass jars or containers but it adds an extra level of difficulty.

All in all, I usually prefer to can rather than freeze because I already have the equipment and the benefits are worth it! If I didn’t have a canner though, I would choose to freeze so I could get my hands on all those local apples and homemade apple pie filling the whole year.

Try the Recipe!

I hope you will give this recipe a try so you can enjoy homemade pie filling all year long. Be sure to comment below and let me know what you think of the recipe and bonus if you tell me what you plan to use it for! I recently experimented with an apple crumble and it was delicious. Stay tuned for that recipe.

If you love the apple pie filling check out the other pie filling recipes I have. These can all be canned or frozen.

• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
• Blueberry Pie Filling