Apple Pie Filling
6 pounds apples
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
A few drops yellow food coloring
in a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and food coloring.
Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.
Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife. Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes
The Lost Art of Pie Making Made Easy
Freezing Apples
Enzymes in apples, pears and some other fruits causes a browning, referred to as oxidation which begins as soon as the fruits outer skin is broken , cut or sliced. This Browning causes loss of vitamin C, as well as making them less appealing. Because fruits are usually served raw they are not generally blanched to prevent this oxidation. Instead, commercial operations add chemical compounds to control the enzymes in the fruits.
The Home Cook - yeah you - can temporarily stop fruit oxidation by placing the fruit in lemon juice solutions or in sugar syrup.
Apples retain much of their texture and flavor when packed in sugar or sugar syrup. Fruits packed in syrup are generally best used for uncooked desserts, those packed in syrup or unsweetened mediums {Lemon Juice} are best for other cooking purposes.
Freezing Apples in Syrup
The "Syrup" is simply a water/sugar solution. I Prefer a 50/50 mix
half sugar and half water. Add 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon juice to each quart of syrup.
Slice apples directly into the cold syrup in a container, starting with 1/2 cup syrup per pint container.
Press fruit down in containers and pour over the apples enough syrup to completely cover them.
Seal, label and freeze.
Freezing Apples without adding Sugar
Apples frozen without sugar are generally used for cooking and pie making.
Wash, peel and core apples. Sprinkle apples generously with Lemon Juice. Place the apple slices in freezer bags, label, date and freeze. Freeze for up to one year at 0°F or lower.
Freezing changes the texture of apples, they are not as well suited for eating raw .
Freezing Apples For Pies
Making Dried Apples
Dehydrator or Oven Drying
Use only pesticide-free firm ripe apples, free of brown spots or insect bores.
Wash, core and peel the apples.
Cut apples into wedges and slice about 1/4-inch-thick , or you can also slice the apples into rings.
Dip apple slices in diluted lemon juice (1/4 c. lemon juice to 1 qt. water) - to prevent browning.
Place the slices on kitchen trays. Do not overlap the slices.
Dry at 110 degrees F for 6 to 8 hours.
Turn the slices after about 4 hours and rotate the trays as needed.
Test for dryness after 6 hours and then every 2 hours until no moisture remains in the center of the slices.
Setting point is reached when the boiling liquid begins to clots. There are various ways to check for setting.
1.} Dip a long wooden spoon into the pan and hold it up so you can see the liquid run off. If it starts to form flakes as it drops, setting point has been reached.
2.}Pour a spoonful of the hot mass on to a plate and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Push the edges of the jam with your index finger, it is set when it all wrinkly and crinkly. Always test for setting point at the time the recipe suggests, if not set continue to cook checking every 5 minutes. Don’t overcook.
and allow to drip for at least 12 hours. 
