Blanched-Apple Pie

I didn't make apple pie filling this year.  I didn't make any canned pie fillings this year.  And now I'm starting to regret it, especially because I have batched pie crust in the freezer.  I want pie, and I don't want to go to so much effort, but canned pie fillings have gotten very expensive.  It's cheaper to buy a bakery pie in some cases.

I decided to go through the prepping process for canned filling, then bake it straight, just to see what happened.  Minus peeling the apples, since I'm not doing that if it isn't a food safety issue.

This actually turned into a cran-apple pie with the last itty bit of cranberries in the freezer.  And I got kind of tired when it came to the top and only did half of a lattice.  Whatever, I wasn't selling it or entering it in the county fair.  Just my weekly dessert.

So did the texture experiment work?  Partly.  The result was definitely more evenly cooked than from raw with the slices tossed in a sugar and flour mixture.  It didn't taste completely the same as canned, but that also made it more homemade and rustic.  I'm definitely considering another batch of canned filling the next time I fill the pot, which will probably be for some lemon marmalade.  I haven't made that in a few years.

Crust for a double-crust pie
2 lbs Granny Smith or other cooking apple
2 C water
2/3 C sugar
*2 Tb ClearJel
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tb lemon juice

1.  If crust is frozen, get out while you prep the filling.

2.  Start boiling a medium saucepan full of water.  Core apples, peel if desired, and cut into thin wedges.  If apples are large, cut wedges in half.

3.  Drop apple pieces into the boiling water.  Allow to simmer for about 4 minutes.  If you left the skin on, you can tell they're done when the peel starts to turn yellowish.  Drain and set aside to cool.

4.  In a smaller saucepan, bring water, sugar, ClearJel, and the remaining ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  If you don't have ClearJel, you can substitute cornstarch.  The goo won't be as solid, but it will work.  Cook until gel forms, then remove from heat.  Add apples to the pot and coat thoroughly.

5.  Prepare your bottom crust and start preheating the oven to 400º.  Pour filling into the crust and arrange evenly.  Fill it more than I did; I underestimated how far the apples would cook down and could have put in one more.  Top with other crust, making sure there is some kind of venting mechanism.  That can be a lattice, cute cutouts, or simple slits.  Seal and crimp edges (not my specialty).  If desired, brush with milk or egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

6.  Place pie pan on a baking sheet in case of juice overflow.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until apples are done and crust is well browned.  If too brown, top with foil the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

7.  Allow pie to cool to room temperature for serving.

Makes 1 9" pie, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  :-0