Cinnamon Apple Pie Filling

Cinnamon Apple Pie Filling
Day Two Hundred and Ninety Seven (13.03.2013)
Processing: Boiling Water Canner 25mins (half-pints, pints, quarts)
Storage: 12 months +
Yield: 25 cups
     
Delicious apple pie filling - using locally grown apples and cinnamon. Once you've made some jars of pie filling, you simply pour into a pie shell, cover with top and bake. Quart (950ml) jars are great for family-sized pies; half pint (1-cup) jars of canned pie filling make approx 3 x mini snack pies. Pie filling is also delicious stirred through homemade yoghurt or used as a topping on cheesecake, pastries, pancakes, ice-cream or other desserts.
    
Ingredients:
4 1/2kg (10 pounds) firm, ripe apples
water

5 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Clearjel
2 cups room temperature water
8 cups of apple cooking water (or apple juice)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or infuse with cinnamon stick instead, remove before canning)
3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
   
Prepare jars.
Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.
   
Prepare apples.
Wash, peel and core apples. Cut into thick 1/2 inch (1cm) thick slices. Place apple slices into a bowl of water (with half a lemon squeezed in the water) to prevent browning while you prepare the rest of the apples.
   
Heat apples 1min.
Using a slotted spoon, place 6 cups of apple slices into a wide pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil apple slices for 1 minute, then use the slotted spoon to remove to a bowl, cover bowl and repeat with remaining apple slices in the pan. Keep cooking liquid to use in the recipe.
    

Combine sugar, ClearJel and 2 cups cool water.
Measure sugar, ClearJel and 2 cups of room-temperature water. Use cool water so the ClearJel doesn't clump. Add ground cinnamon. Whisk well. Stir in 8 cups of apple cooking water (or apple juice if you wish). Whisk well to combine then heat until bubbling and thick. Stir in the bottled lemon juice.
   
Prepare lids.
While you are heating the pie filling, place the lids into a pan of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through in the few minutes while you make the pie filling, removing the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
    
Stir in apple slices and fill hot jars with hot pie filling.
Immediately stir the drained apple slices into the pie filling, and bottle straight away into the hot jars, filling to 1 inch (2.5cm) headspace. Carefully bubbles, wipe rims and seal.
   
Boiling water canner processing.
Process in boiling water bath canner for 25 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
     
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months.
   
For more photos of this recipe, visit HERE

Day 247: Peach Cinnamon Jam

Peach Cinnamon Jam
  

Day Two Hundred and Forty Seven (22.01.2013)
Processing: Hot Water Bath 10mins

Storage: 12 months+

Yield: 3-4 x half-pints (3-4 cups)

Recipe Source: 365 Days of Creative Canning

   
Peaches and cinnamon partner so well together in this great-looking, deee-licious jam!  ♥
  

Ingredients:
2 pounds (1kg) peaches, washed, peeled, halved, stoned and chopped
1 cup water

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
2 tablespoons powdered pectin (or 4 teaspoons Jamsetta)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups white sugar
   

Simmer peaches until tender.

Simmer prepared peaches and water in a saucepan (covered) for 15 minutes until very soft, stirring occasionally. You can prepare your jars while you simmer the peaches.

  

Prepare jars.
Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.

     

Puree peaches.

Pulse fruit with immersion blender, processor or food mill until smooth. You should get approximately 2 cups of peach puree. 

  

Make jam.
Measure the puree into your jam-making pot. The sugar amount will be the same as the puree amount, so measure the sugar into a separate bowl ready to add. Whisk the lemon juice, cinnamon and pectin into the puree in the pot. Bring to a high boil and then add the pre-measured sugar all at once. Bring to a rolling boil (cannot stir down) and boil for 1 minute. Turn heat off and skim away foam.

  

Prepare lids.

While you are making the jam, place the lids into a pot of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through in the few minutes while you make the jam and then fill the jars, removing the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.

  

Ladle hot jam into hot jars.

Ladle the hot jam into the prepared, hot jars, filling to ¼ inch (0.5cm) headspace. Wipe rims and seal.

  

Process in hot water bath canner.

Process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes (time begins once water is boiling again). Turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.

  

The next day ...
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months.

  
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE PEACH CINNAMON JAM PROCESS ...

Day 187: Cranberry Almond Toasted Muesli

Cranberry Almond Toasted Muesli
     

Day One Hundred and Eighty Seven (23.11.2012)
Processing: Oven (60-70 minutes)

Yield: 7 x half-pints (7 cups)

Recipe Source: followed method shown HERE
                             
So over the past two days I have made choc raspberry sauce and homemade yoghurt, so today I wanted to make my own granola. I also wanted something that could be made in bulk and stored either in the pantry (2-3 weeks?) or longer in the refrigerater (4+ weeks), which meant cutting back on the added oil, but also still having all of the yummy ingredients that granola is famous for! Now here in Australia the word granola is copyrighted, so I have called mine toasted muesli instead. If you think of a catchier name, let me know! Today I made my toasted muesli with dried cranberries and slivered almonds, but you could substitute for your favourite dried fruit and nuts - even adding a 1/4 cup or so of seeds or coconut to the mix if you wish. I'm thinking for christmas a few jars of cranberry (red) and pistachio (green) toasted muesli won't go afar!
     

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar - you can use brown, white, raw, etc (I used brown sugar)
1/4 cup honey (you could substitute for maple syrup)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5 cups wholegrain rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit (I used dried cranberries, but use whatever chopped dried fruit you wish)
1 cup chopped/sliced nuts (I used slivered almonds)
1/4 cup coconut/seeds (OPTIONAL)
    
Pre-heat oven, line tray.The secret to making homemade toasted muesli is baking it LOW AND SLOW - pre-heat your oven to 275'F (135'C) and line a baking tray with baking paper so the mixture doesn't stick to the tray.
     

Combine wet ingredients.

Whisk the sugar, honey and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the salt, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon, whisking until combined. Allow to cool enough to touch (usually cool enough by the time you've chopped up the dried fruit and nuts).

        

      

    

Stir into rolled oats.

Combine the rolled oats and the syrup in a large mixing bowl, using fingertips to evenly distribute throughout. Stir through the remaining ingredients until mixed through.

   

  

   

Pour mixture onto prepared tray.

Spread mixture evenly onto the lined baking tray, don't press down as we want to break the muesli up as it cooks. Pop into the pre-heated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes at 275'F (135'C) or until golden, checking every 15 minutes and stirring the mixture to break up any forming clumps. It will be soft from the heat but once cooled will harden, so watch the colour change to golden to check when it is ready to come out of the oven.

   

Cool muesli.

Leave to rest in the tray after baking for about 10 minutes, then put onto a big platter or dish (I used a big Tupperware bowl), to cool overnight whilst covered with a tea towel or plastic wrap (or a big food net if you like). I also heated my jars after baking and rested those (covered) overnight so they were nice and dry in the morning.

   

Heat jars and cool.

Heat your jars (I use half pint/125ml or pint/450ml or quart/950ml) by covering in water and simmering for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before use - you don't want moisture in the jars ruining your muesli! You will also need clean, dry lids - plastic ones are perfect, especially if you are going to refrigerate your mix.
         
Spoon toasted muesli into jars.
Scoop your dry toasted muesli into your clean, dry jars and cover with a clean lid. You can store this in the pantry for a few weeks, or refrigerate (some say freezing also works well but I haven't tried that out yet) for a month or more!and rest jars in canner for 5 more minutes before removing to a tea towel covered surface to cool overnight.
        

Enjoy! Sprinkle a spoonful atop yoghurt and fruit slices,

use as a cereal with milk, or make granola bars!

I'd love to see your creations!