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My Favorite Fall Recipe: Freezer Apple Pie Filling

Maria (Angie) B.

Growing up in the Caribbean, apples was not a common thing for us. Mangoes, pineapples, star fruit— yes. But not apples. And it is something that I always associated with the images of fall season I saw on tv. Growing up without actual seasons is something that always made me feel cheated as a kid. And I always knew that I would retire somewhere where I could experience all the seasons. Now living in the upper Midwest, autumn is something that I associate with apples, more than pumpkins. And one of my favorite ways to enjoy apples is apple pie.

Give me an apple pie any day over any other kind of dessert (except chocolate fudge cake…maybe). There is just something so perfect about the combination of flavors that it is just pure bliss to me, Interestingly, I do not make it often myself. Part of it is that I never really found the right filling recipe… until last year. I was at a store buying an apple corer, and I started talking to the lady at the register about the huge amount of apples I got at the orchard. She told me that she had the perfect recipe for freezer apple pie filling, and that she would text it to me. I went home not thinking about it, but later that day she did text me the recipe! The recipe couldn’t be simpler. And she allowed me to share it with you all. Warning: It will make your house smell like an autumn dream.

For this recipe I use a combination of two apples—-

  • Haralson - a tart and crisp apple that, to me, is the best baking apple

  • First Kiss - a large, sweet and crisp apple, created in Minnesota by the UofM in 2018. I am a huge fan of this apple because it is a cross between Honeycrisp and a Pink Lady. I find that it is a perfect addition to this recipe. The reason I also love it is that it is the earlies apple available in MN, starting in mid-August.

  • Other good apples for this recipe Prairie Spy, Wealthy, Braeburn, Gala and of course, Granny Smith (I just personally do not like the taste of GS).

But the regardless of which apple you use, I can assure you, that this recipe will turn out beautifully. Enjoy!

Freezer Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

  • 16 apples, peeled and sliced

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar

  • 1/2 cup of flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinammon

  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup of water

Steps:

  1. Sprinkle lemon juice over apples as you core, peel and slice to keep them from turning brown.

  2. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and spices.

  3. Rinse and drain apple slices, and stir in the mixture in step 2. Let it stand aside for 30 minutes.

  4. After 30 minutes, stir in lemon juice, and water, and cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken up. You do not want the apples to cook completely.

  5. Let it cool down 5-10 minutes. Then ladle into 1-gallon freezer bags. Do not close the bags. Let them cool down in the bags for up to 1 1/2 hours.

  6. Once cooled, freeze flat on trays or cookie sheets.

To Use:

  1. Warm filling in sauce pan, before placing in unbaked pie crust.

  2. Bake at 400-425 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 45 minutes. Cover edges halfway thru to protect from over browning.

I PROMISE you, that this recipe is so dang delicious that we actually used it over the season, not just for pies, but even better, as a topping for waffles. It was amazing! Give it a try and let me know how you like it! Take care!

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