APPLE PIE

Apple pie - the all-American dessert.  I happen to be blessed with a husband who has planted a beautiful orchard on our property.  For the past two years, our trees have yielded beautiful apples.  I was fortunate enough to come across a great recipe for canning the apple pie filling I make with these apples.  I can several jars and we are able to enjoy "fresh" apple pie throughout the year.  Now, I am in now way an expert canner and in fact, I rather despise doing it.  It makes such a mess in my kitchen!  However, I like to be able to run to the pantry any day of the year, throw a pie together quickly, and know that my hard work has paid off.   Love/hate relationship for sure!

I made this pie for my parents when they were visiting last week.  Here's the recipe I use for the filling:

First, peel and cut your apples and pack them tightly into clean canning jars.

Mix:
4 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
10 cups water 
1 cup corn starch
3 tsp. lemon juice

Cook until thick and bubbly.  Pour into the jars over the apples.  Pour slowly and you may have to use a spatula to move things around so it is all nicely filled.

Give them a hot water bath for 20 minutes to seal.

The pie crust recipe is from my good friend, Marie.  I always hated working with pie dough until I tried this recipe:

2 tsp. salt
1 cup Crisco
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour

Easy as apple pie!