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Attention Apple Pie Lovers!

© Pier Jones

Do you look forward to fall for all the fresh apple pies that will be donning your table? My family does! I always can several quarts of apples with the intention of making pies (and a few do end up that way), but most just get eaten, or made into "fresh" applesauce during the winter. If you have the freezer space, you might want to freeze your favorite apple pie filling recipe, to have on hand for almost-instant pies during the holidays. You won't believe how easy this is!

Always use apples that are crisp and firm and fully ripe. Do not use apples that have softened, gotten mealy, or are discolored.

Wash, core, and peel your apples. Slice medium apples into 12 slices, large apples into 16 slices. Slice the apples directly into a pretreatment to prevent discoloring. Pretreatment: 1 quart water to which 1 T ascorbic acid has been added; or, 1 quart water, to which 1/4 cup lemon juice has been added. Soak 5-10 minutes before adding to recipe. I like to make huge, heaping apple pies, so I generally need 6 large apples per pie, but 3 or 4 large apples should yield a pound, so be your own judge, and make up what your family will eat.

Pier's Basic Apple Pie Filling

This will make one pie. Multiply the recipe and freeze plenty!

5 or 6 large apples, peeled, cored, sliced, and pretreated

2/3 cup white sugar

3 T flour

½ t nutmeg, freshly grated

1 t cinnamon

1 T lemon juice

Combine all in a large bowl and stir to coat evenly. Lightly oil the inside of a 9 inch pie plate, and add the pie filling. Cover with foil and place in the freezer for 24 hours. Remove the pie filling from the pie plate, wrap it in foil, and place it in a plastic freezer bag. Be sure to label it with the contents and date, and return it to the freezer. When you are ready to make a pie, just pop the frozen filling onto your bottom crust, top with lattice or a crumb topping, and bake as usual. (400-425 for 60-70 minutes is generally about right.)

You can do this with your favorite apple pie recipe, or try some of these others that I found:

http://www.ichef.com/ichef-recipes/Pies-... Apple-Cranberry Pie

http://www.ichef.com/ichef-recipes/Pies-... French Apple Pie with Apricots

http://www.ichef.com/ichef-recipes/Desse... Harvest Apple Pie

http://www.culinary.net/consumer/forums/... No Bottom Crust!

Or, if you want to can some apple pie filling, here are some recipes:

http://ftp.neosoft.com/recipes/preservin... Using tapioca

http://www.neosoft.com/recipes/preservin... Using cornstarch

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills... Another using tapioca

http://www.culinarycafe.com/Canning/Reci... Uses Clear Jel

http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/canning... Another using Clear Jel

If you have questions, please post to the discussion area, or join our Preservers egroup at

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