🍎 Homemade Apple Pie Filling

This **Homemade Apple Pie Filling** is sweet, warmly spiced, and perfect for pies, crisps, cobblers, or even breakfast oatmeal! Made with fresh apples and simple pantry ingredients, it’s easy to prepare and can be canned or frozen for long-term storage.

Ingredients

• 6 cups peeled, sliced apples (about 6 medium apples — Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or mix)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (or 1/3 cup flour for thickening)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (prevents browning, adds brightness)
• 1/2 cup water or apple juice
• 2 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)

Instructions

1. Prep apples: Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch thick slices.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, toss apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Cook: Transfer to a large saucepan. Add lemon juice and water. Cook over medium heat 15–20 minutes, stirring gently, until apples are tender and sauce is thickened.
4. Add butter (optional): Stir in butter until melted and glossy.
5. Cool slightly: Let filling cool 10–15 minutes before using in a pie (to prevent soggy crust).
6. Use or store: Pour into a 9-inch pie crust and top as desired, or transfer to jars or freezer bags.

Tip: To can, process filled jars in a water bath for 20 minutes. To freeze, store in airtight containers up to 6 months. Thaw in fridge before using.

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