RECIPES

CANNED APPLE PIE FILLING

THE RECIPE

Jar size choices: Either half-litre (1 US pint / 500 ml/ 16 oz) OR 1 litre (US quart / 32 oz)

Processing method: Water bath or steam canning

Yield: 1 litre (US quart) jar. Multiply recipe as desired.

Headspace: 3 to 4 cm (1 to 1.25 inches)

Processing time: 25 minutes (all jar sizes)

APPLE PIE FILLING

Prep time: 60 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 2 hours

Yield: Ingredients are per litre (US quart) jar

Serving size: 1 litre (US quart)

Calories: 1054

Fat: 1.2 g

INGREDIENTS

500 g of peeled, cored and sliced apple (4 cups / 1 lb. Measurements after prep)

4 tablespoons Clearjel ( 30 g / ¼ cup)

175 g white sugar (3/4 cup / 6 oz) OR 1 teaspoon liquid stevia

½ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛th teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

125 ml cold water (1/2 cup / 4 oz)

175 ml unsweetened apple juice (3/4 cup / 6 oz)

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep the apples. Slice no more than 2 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Set aside in a large bowl or pot with in water with some lemon juice or ascorbic acid in it to prevent discolouring.

In a large pot, mix together the Clearjel, sugar OR liquid stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg if using, water and apple juice. Set aside.

Boil a large pot of water (4 litres / quarts). Add about 500 g / 4 cups of apples at a time to the boiling water. When the water returns to the boil after adding the apples, time 1 minute, then remove the apples with a slotted spoon or strainer, and put in a bowl or pot and cover to keep warm.

Repeat for all apples.

Put the apple juice mixture pot on to cook over medium high-heat.

When it starts to thicken, which will be very soon, add the lemon juice.

Cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Stir in the apple.

Ladle apple into prepared half-litre (1 US pint) or 1 litre (1 US quart) jars

Leave 3 cm ( 1 inch) headspace.

Debubble, adjust headspace.

Wipe jar rims.

Put lids on.

Process in a water bath or steam canner.

Process either size jar for 25 minutes; increase time as needed for your altitude.

RECIPE NOTES

The measurement for the apple is for already-prepped apple. After blanching, that’s 3 1/2 cups in volume of blanched apple, and still around 500 g in weight;

Slice the apples no more than 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Thicker slices may trap too much air in them, which during processing will try to escape from the jar and cause product overflow. For the same reason, don’t skip blanching the apple pieces: blanching gets air out;

Some people advise to leave headspace of 3 cm (1 1/4 inches), because of how much this swells during processing. Others say excess headspace won’t help: instead, take the precautions mentioned above;

Optional: 1 drop of yellow food colouring per litre (US quart) jar being prepared.

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLEARJEL

HOW TO MAKE A PIE WITH THIS PIE FILLING

A 1 litre (quart) jar makes an ample 20 cm (8 inch) pie.

For a 23 cm (9 inch) pie:

1 litre (US quart) jar makes a scant pie;

2 of these jars makes for a generously filled pie;

Some people say to take a 1 litre jar, empty into a bowl, then mix in a half-litre (1 US pint) jar of plain canned apple slices, and use that, for a really fruity and generous 23 cm (9 inch) apple pie.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving size: 1 litre (US quart / 4 cups / 32 fluid oz) jar

REGULAR VERSION

Per 1 litre / US quart:

1054 calories, 15 mg sodium

SUGAR-FREE VERSION

Per 1 litre / US quart:

398 calories, 15 mg sodium

Pot Roast in a jar

Recipe type: Meat Cuisine:

American Yield: 2 x 1 litre (quart) jars

Ingredients

250 ml dry red wine (1 cup / 8 oz)

2 teaspoons salt OR salt sub

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 cloves garlic

150 g sliced carrot (1 cup / 5 oz. Measured after prep. About 1 large or 2 medium carrots)

150 g diced potato (1 cup / 5 oz. Measured after prep. About 1 medium potato)

75 g diced celery (1/2 cup / 2 oz. Measured after prep. About 1 stalk of celery)

200 g diced onion (1 cup / 7 oz. Measured after prep. About 1 medium onion.)

1 kg stewing beef (such as chuck or round) (2 lbs)

Bay leaves

Beef broth (hot)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or pot, mix everything from the wine down to and including the thyme.

2. Wash, peel and slice garlic. Add to bowl.

3. Wash the carrot, peel it, wash again, then slice and add to bowl.

4. Wash the potato, peel it, wash again, then dice and add to bowl.

5. Wash the celery, dice it, add to bowl.

6. Wash the onion, peel it, dice, and add to bowl.

7. Put a kettle or pot of water on to boil for you to make your beef broth from, if you are using bouillon cubes, powder or liquid. If you're using home-made, start heating it in microwave. Mind the surge when you remove it.

8. Trim excess fat off beef. Cut into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks. Add to bowl.

9. Using your clean hands or a very sturdy spoon, mix the contents of the bowl.

10. Jar size choices: half-litre (1 US pint) or 1 litre (US quart)

11. Into each warmed jar, put 1 bay leaf, then pack the jar firmly (but not overly tightly) with mixture.

12. Leave 3 cm (1 inch) headspace.

13. Add some of the wine sauce from the bowl (but leave enough sauce to go around for all the jars.)

14. Top up the jars with hot beef broth (or even just plain boiling water is fine.)

15. Debubble; adjust headspace.

16. Wipe jar rims.

17. Put lids on.

18. Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)

19. Processing time: half- litre (1 US pint) 75 minutes; 1 litre (US quart) 90 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 cup / 250 ml

Calories: 272

Fat: 6.2 g

Saturated fat: 2.2 g

Carbohydrates: 9.2 g

Sugar: 2.5 g

Sodium: 683 mg

Fiber: 1.7 g

Protein: 37.2 g

Cholesterol: 86 mg