Pie Filling recipe

I received permission from Jenny Evans to print a summary of her marvelous apple pie filling, which is designed to be bottled for future use. See other recipes at her blog- http://www.jennyevansdunham.com/blog/

Sterilize jars and lids, either in the dishwasher or in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. You can leave the heat on low once it has boiled to keep jars warm.
Peel, core and slice 6 quarts of apples. There is an appliance that is simple to use and does all 3 at once. I found one at Ace hardware.
Make the sauce for the filling (recipe below)
Pull jars from water, and pack with apples while they're still hot. Use a knife to adjust the apples in the jar, packing them tightly.
Pour the hot liquid sauce in the jars, using a canning funnel to within 3/4" of the rim.
Swipe around the edges of the jars, and run the knife down the edges to make sure the liquid covers all the apple slices completely, and to remove air bubbles. Shaking the jar slightly can also help in this step.
Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth and tighten lids.
Process jars in either a boiling water bath or steam canner for 20 minutes, longer for high-altitude, up to five minutes more.
Remove jars with tongs and place on a folded towel to cool. Cover them with another towel. The jars should seal within 24 hours. Do not store if they aren't sealed, but any unsealed jars can be used immediately.

Pie Sauce
1-2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
9-11 cups water, depending on thickness of sauce desired
1 tsp lemon juice

In large pot, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Boil 1 minute and add lemon juice. Allow to cool slightly before pouring over the apple slices.

The 20 minute processing cooks the apples, and they are ready to be used for apple pie, cobbler or apple crisp. They are also delicious poured over vanilla ice cream!