Apple Cranberry Pie Filling - Two Of My Fall Favorites In One!
What can be better than apple pie in the fall? Well, dare I say apple cranberry pie?! When these two iconic fall fruits are mixed together, it is like a fall explosion in your mouth!
This Ball® Home Canning apple cranberry pie filling has all the fall flavors you would expect - cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. And the sweetness from the apples and the tartness of the cranberries brings it to a perfect balance.
Making pie filling is always fun, especially before the holiday season, as it is so versatile. You can use this pie filling for:
Muffin and cake recipes, cookie recipes, crumble and strudel recipes, served with waffles, pancakes, and ice cream. And even gift it to a friend in a beautiful Ball® home canning jar!
*This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products
Apple Cranberry Pie Filling Recipe
I made this recipe by water bath canning the filling, which is the method for most fillings, jams, and preserves. But should you not want to can this recipe, you can still make it and use it as a pie filling. The only difference would be that you won’t be able to store it for an extended period and use it at a later stage.
APPLE CRANBERRY PIE FILLING RECIPE
Makes: 3 Quart jars (32 Oz). I used Ball® Wide Mouth and Regular Mouth Jars
Get the jars HERE
Prep: 30 Minutes
Processing time: 25 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
10 cups (2.4 L) peeled, cored, and ½ inch (1.25 cm) thickly sliced apples from about 5 lbs (2.25 kg) of mixed variety apples
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup (250 mL) water
2 ½ cups (625 mL) apple cider or juice
2 ½ cups (625 mL) sugar
2/3 cups (160 mL) ClearJel cooking starch
Zest of 1 orange
1/8 tsp (1.25 mL) ground cloves
½ tsp (2.5 mL) ground nutmeg
½ tsp (2.5 mL) ground ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup (60 mL) bottled lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
2. Combine Apple slices, cranberries, and water in a large saucepan, and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes, until apple slices become tender. Remove to a bowl.
3. Combine sugar, ClearJel®, orange zest, and spices in the same saucepan; stir in apple cider and any juices collected in the bowl of apple-cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
4. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Immediately fold apple slices and cranberries into the hot mixture; stir until apples are heated through. Remove from heat.
5. Ladle hot apple pie filling into a hot jar, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band and adjust fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling- water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
6. Process jars for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
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A Few Notes On The Ingredients
APPLES
Some of the best apples for pie filling are Crispin, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, McIntosh, and Red Delicious.
To prevent apple slice browning, apply Ball® Fruit-Fresh® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer's instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice and 4 cups (1 L) water.
CRANBERRIES
Cranberries are in abundance in fall, so get a big batch while they are in season and freeze them in Ziploc bags to use later. Should you not find fresh berries, frozen cranberries will work just as well!
SUGAR
A holiday pie should have some sweetness, right?! Besides making it sweeter, sugar acts as a thickener, binding up free water. It also preserves texture, flavor, and color.
If you omit or reduce the sugar or use sweeteners, you may end up with a less desirable product.
CLEARJEL STARCH
ClearJel is a modified cornstarch used by many commercial bakers in fruit pie fillings as a thickener. It works well with acidic ingredients and tolerates high temperatures.
What makes it great is that it does not thicken until the liquid begins to cool. For this reason, using regular cornstarch is not advised as it clumps up when canning and may interfere with heat being able to reach throughout the jar.
BONUS TIP: When canned and stored correctly, your apple cranberry pie filling can last you up to 1 years unopened. And should you not can it, it can be frozen for up to 6 months!
This apple cranberry will be a hit at your next holiday meal or enjoyed with afternoon tea! I loved having an afternoon with Ava to make some pie together. She loves rolling out the dough and of course tasting some of the pie filling along the way.
I love the perfect balance of the sweet and tartness and, of course, all the fall flavors! Memories made in the kitchen together are my absolute favorite!
Here are some more pie recipe favorites for you to try out:
A Traditional Apple Pie (no canning)
Happy pie-making, friend!
Annette, xxx
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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own