Quick-Freeze Apple Filling

Ingredients

• 7 BCTF apples, mixed variety
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup water or apple juice
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. 1

   Fashion a large “double boiler” using a large stockpot and a stainless steel mixing bowl. Fill the pot 1/3 full of water and place the bowl on top, then bring the water to a gentle simmer. Use the stockpot lid to cover the apples while they heat. Mix sugar, cornstarch, apple/lemon juice together and place it in the bowl.

2. 2

   Begin to peel, core, and slice apples one at a time, adding slices to the bowl as you work. When all 7 apples are sliced and the water is at full simmer, cover the apples and heat through for 10 minutes. Take care not to get burnt from any escaping steam.

3. 3

   You may prefer to include 1/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or allspice in this filling if you are only using it for pies. Spices can always be added when you remove it from the freezer depending on what you wish to cook with it.

4. 4

   Apple School
   In this recipe, apples are heated gently so that they do not reach boiling temperature, this:

   • keeps them from browning (the lemon juice or apple juice helps too!)
   • removes some of the air from the apple cells so that there is no gap between apples and crust
   • “sets” the natural pectin so that the apples do not fall apart.