Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[jvls1942]

I am still up. had a glass of wine. will be going back to bed soon.
I looked up recipes for canning apple pie filling. I found that six pounds of apples is enough to make seven quarts of filling. I will just slice enough to fill seven jars and not worry about how many pounds.
I was self employed for many years so we always had our own insurance.
I laughed at those guys who complained that they had to pay a small percentage of their insurance through their company group insurance. boo hoo.

 

[WIchickMama]

Jim, I hope you get some rest--I have canned pie filling before with apples and a quart was enough for a pie. We had thunder, lightning and then minimal rain here over night--about 40 min south of us they had baseball sized hail and I saw on the news lots of broken car windows.

Barb, glad to hear that it is just fly babies and not poultry worms! Makes it a lot easier to handle.

Weather has been crazy here too--90 degrees yesterday and a high of 67 today. Highs in the 50s on Friday. I am on the fence of starting to put plastic up on the chicken run or not. I feel that this year it is going to switch overnight. I might do half of the run and leave the bottom half open, then it won't be a HAVE TO DO IT NOW sort of thing when the time comes.

 

[jvls1942]

I did some research on canning apples.
I think I will do it like we do pickles.
fill the jars with apple slices and pour a solution of sugar, salt etc to cover the apples. then hot bath for 20 minutes.
I just have to come up with a good recipe for the solution. I want to make it as close to how Annie puts a pie together.
I am taking today off. going to go pick up the car from the fixit shop.
brake job, oil change. afterwards we will go to lunch. if there is any money left. lol

 

[wyoDreamer]

Yes, a quart jar is enough to fill a pie shell. I also make some pints of pie filling when I can it up so that I have some smaller quantities if I need to "overfill" a larger size pie pan (deep dish apple pie) or if I want to use it for other things like apple cake, apple pie oatmeal, apple pie ice cream and so on. I use the cherry pie filling in the pint size for Cherry Jello mixed with cherry pie filling - my favorite side dish.
If you don't already have a water bath canner and are contemplating buying one - I recommend getting a steam canner instead, anything that can be BWB canned can be done in a steam canner safely and the steam canner uses less water and weighs a lot less when full.

 

[Callender Girl]

I have a steam canner -- which has been unused since its purchase some years ago. Sounds like you are happy with yours. At the time, I had an electric stove and didn't realize I should have had a gas one. Which I do now.

A few years back, I made apple pie filling and froze it, but never made pies. All was good until an electrical outage which, unbeknownst to me for DAYS, killed my basement freezer. The sweet smell of the apples and cinnamon mixed with the aroma of putrid meat (Jim was quite a meat lover), when I finally opened the freezer was gag worthy.

Jim, did you and Annie get to go to lunch?

 

[wyoDreamer]

For my canned apple pie filling, I mix the sugar, ClearJel, cinnamon, salt, apple slices, and such in a big bowl. Put 1 tablespoon lemon juice in the quart jar and then fill the jars, packing as tight as I can. Steam can for 25 minutes.
When using to make the pie, don't forget to add the pats of butter on top of the filling before baking. The original recipe called for tapioca but I prefer the texture that I get with the ClearJel better. Don't use flour or cornstarch as they will break down.

 

[jvls1942]

I do have a nice water bath kettle.
I knew about not using flour, but could not find anything about corn starch.
I will use clear jell.
Yes, we got to go to lunch. I had nothing to eat and it was two PM .
I had a swiss cheese burger that came with a bowl of chili. surprisingly, I ate all of it, plus some of Annie's FFries.
I didn't eat any supper.
BP is holding steady.
after I do the apple pie filling, I will make apple sauce out of whatever is left.
today I am going to finish the metal junk pile and call the junk man.

 

[jvls1942]

I did not go outside yet. I got interested in the recipes and techniques of canning apple pie filling. Annie brought home sure jel liquid. Not the same as clear jel. most stores don't have clear jel. BUT, I called the Amish store at Beaver Creek just north of Athens. They have clear jel. about half the price of what Amazon is. 2 quart size about $11.oo
road trip.
We do have a pressure cooker. I never used it for canning. I think I will give it a try if it is large enough for 7 quarts.

 

[Callender Girl]

Tough day yesterday. One of my Buckeye hens had to be euthanized, and I feel massively guilty (in fact, I posted an RIP a few minutes ago). It doesn't matter how often it happens, I always feel guilty when I lose any critter. Afterward, I mostly just moped around and didn't accomplish much.

I don't have enough time to feel sorry for myself today. Cold weather is setting in, and there's plenty to do outside.

Good luck with the apples, Jim.

 

[jvls1942]

sorry about your hen, they do that.
the apple project is off to a slow start. the peeler needed to be adjusted.
I wasted half a pie's worth of apples.
the slicer won't work with these mealy apples.
My goal of 21 quarts has diminished to about 14. the smallest apples aren't worth peeling. Annie doesn't want any apple sauce.
So bro Dave will get some deer apples.