Canning Apple Pie Filling

We picked apples again this morning and my little helper peeled and peeled and peeled. He loves using my Pampered Chef apple peeler. He makes tractor sounds while he's turning the handle.

We canned a few jars of apple slices in a sugar water syrup. These are great for making fried apples.

But my BIG PROJECT of the day was canning homemade apple pie filling for the first time. I found a few different recipes online and then took a look at my apple pie recipe and did some modifications...
Here's what I came up with.
Peel apples and cut into pie-sized slices. I let mine sit in a big bowl of water with some lemon juice added to keep them from turning brown. You should do enough to fill 7 quart jars packed tightly.

Canned Apple Pie Filling
6 - 8 pounds of apples
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup regular clear gel (not instant clear gel)
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
5 cups water
5 cups apple juice

Mix sugar, brown sugar, clear gel, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. Put vinegar, apple juice (I used some I had juiced with the steam juicer earlier but bought is fine too) and water in a large pot on medium heat. As liquid begins to warm pour sugar mixture in stirring WELL to get the clear gel dissolve. I even used my hand mixer for this so it didn't clump. Heat mixture until bubbly, thick and hot. Pack apples into hot jars tightly. I was afraid the thick filling wouldn't get between the apples well if I packed them too tight but that's not a problem so pack them in there. You can tell I have a little space in the bottom of my jars that could have been filled.

Ladle the hot filling into the jars of apples. Using a wooden or plastic utensil, poke around in your apples to release the air bubbles and to help the filling get down to the bottom and in between all the apples. Finish filling each jar with additional filling leaving at least 3/4-inch head space. Filling will expand a bit during processing. Adjust hot lid and bands and process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

I had a little of the mixture left over and my boys LOVED it with fresh apple slices. Might have to can some half pints of this as apple dip!

So go can some apple pie filling and this winter when the snow is falling outside, grab a jar, make a homemade pie crust and ENJOY the smell and taste of warm apple pie!

Sneaking Apples

This fawn and it's momma live in the woods behind our house.

They usually wait until late in the afternoon to visit the apple tree.

But they got an early start yesterday evening and he loves the apples.
I took these pics from our bedroom window.

I have watched this little guy growing and playing over the last month from my kitchen window.
Last year I watched twins grow up there with an older doe after witnessing their birth in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Just one of the many reason I love living way out here in the middle of nowhere!

Officially a 1st Grader

And so grown up! But he still holds his momma's hand. See...

And gives Daddy and Luke hugs.

He's proud of his first missing tooth. He was determined to pull a tooth before school started. He pulled it Friday.

and his new back pack!

His little brother has really missed him today.
I wasn't sure he was going to let go of him when we were ready to leave the school. He ran back for one more hug.

And then I walked away and left my big boy first grader sitting in his new desk.

He came home and said he really liked the first grade and then he showed me how he learned to write a cursive "e".

I think back to the first day of kindergarten and know that this year will go by just as fast as last year did and then Luke will be heading out that door to Kindergarten with him every morning and I won't know what to do with myself...at least for a little while and then I'll decide it's time to do some of those things I've been wanting to do.

Like....make goat milk soap!

Apple Time Again

Lots of links in this post! I didn't plan it that way, I promise!

Each year our apple tree bears it's little heart out! This year is no exception. The apples are smaller due to lack of rain but it is absolutely covered in them. A lot of them have already fallen to the ground because of the excessive heat and dry weather. The guineas and chickens love pecking on these during the day and there's always a doe or two eating apples at night when I flip the porch light on to let the dogs out.

Each year I find a few more ways to use the apples. Last year I made jelly but the long, tedious process of jelly bagging and squishing and straining and dripping made me decide I'd rather buy my apple jelly but then I found that wonderful thing I have been blogging about lately. The STEAM JUICER! It's on the stove now filled with apples, pouring out beautiful clear apple juice for jelly.

See....


I will also make a couple of apple pies over the next two to three weeks and I will can and freeze apple slices in syrup. My boys have gone through the 8 quarts of apples I canned last year and have started on the frozen ones. They request fried apples at least once a week and I can't resist making a few fried apple pies once I have them cooked.

I am also going to use apples in the Pear Custard Bar recipe. I tried this with fresh peaches and it was absolutely delicious! Don't tell the pears but the peaches were even better! Along with several bags of frozen peaches for this recipe, there will now be several bags of apples!

I also use my Roma Food Strainer to make applesauce and apple butter.

My husband uses my Pampered Chef apple peeler/corer gadget to make these apple rings. He dips them in cinnamon and sugar and dehydrates them. Yum!

A few calls go out to neighbors and friends and they come and pick apples for their own uses and then a couple of five gallon buckets are stored in a dark, cool, dry place to keep for feeding the deer and birds during the winter months.

Needless to say, our little apple tree provides a mighty harvest for many!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

I think I'm going to live now! I am recovering from the worst summer cold I have ever had! It started as a sore throat Friday night and by Saturday morning it was a full blown head cold then moved into my chest. If you know me when I say I haven't wanted or had a cup of coffee since Friday then you know I have been SICK!! I know I'm getting better because I'm drinking my first cup this afternoon.

Shannon, your magazine is ordered. You should receive the first one in 4 to 6 weeks. I hope you enjoy it. That give away was so much fun, I think I'll have another one soon!

It is so hot here right now. Here's the latest post from our weatherman, Kyle, a few minutes ago.

WPSD-TV It's a new weather record! The high temperature at the Paducah National Weather Service made it to 104º this afternoon. This ties the record high temperature for the date. At 4 PM, temperatures range from 98º to 102º, with heat index values of 113º to 123º! -Kyle

The poor chickens are so hot right now. I took a fan to the barn for them this morning and watered down a spot of dirt for them to wallow in and they hopped right in it. The goats are hanging out in the shade and the dogs run outside, use the bathroom and run right back in. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same. I think the only thing thriving in this heat are the hot peppers!

There's a few rumbles of thunder coming from the East. I'm hoping and praying it brings some much needed rain this way.

While I'm waiting on the rain, I think I'll make some
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 gallon chocolate milk
1 lg. container of Cool Whip
1/2 cup sugar

Mix Eagle Brand milk, Cool Whip and sugar in a large bowl and pour into 4-quart ice cream freezer. Fill to fill line with chocolate milk. Stir and follow freezer instructions for making ice cream.