Need some quick canning/substitution help!

[annmarie]

I'm in the middle of making apple pie filling for canning and I just discovered that I don't have enough lemon juice. I need 3 TBS, and I probably have about 1 1/2. I'm guessing I need this for the acidity. The only substitutions I can think of is lime juice, or apple cider vinegar. What do you think would be less gross in apple pie filling? :/

 

[me&thegals]

lime juice

 

[annmarie]

Thank you me&thegals! That's what I was leaning towards since it seems more similar to lemon juice. This could be an interesting winter of apple pies in this house! It'll either be the brilliant "secret ingredient" or "what's that off-flavor in the pie?"

 

[MorelCabin]

I bet it will be the awesome secret ingredient:>)

 

[annmarie]

Oh I hope so, because I'm just about to add it. I guess I could always call it Key Lime Apple Pie if it tastes really strange!

 

[Dace]

Annmarie, care to share your recipe? Sounds yummy!

 

[annmarie]

Here's the recipe I used. This is the first time I've made it so I can't make any claims about it making a great pie, but it certainly looks beautiful, and I tasted the syrup and it was delicious (even with a bit of lime juice instead of lemon juice! ) Oh, and I recommend you prepare 7 pounds of apples instead of 6. I found myself having to do some last minute emergency apple peeling, coring, slicing when I realized 1/2 way through filling jars that I wasn't going to have enough. I also didn't use the food coloring.

Canned Apple Pie Filling
"This recipe makes 7 quart jars of filling for apple pies. 2 quarts make a 9 inch pie. Need to have 7 one quart canning jars, with rings and lids."
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
10 cups water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 drops yellow food coloring
6 pounds apples
DIRECTIONS
1. 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.
2. Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water.
3. Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
4. Fill jars with hot syrup, and gently remove air bubbles with a knife.
5. Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.

 

[Dace]

Sounds wonderful! I am going to print it out.

Thank you!

 

[punkin]

That filling recipe sounds great! I froze mine this year because I didn't find one I liked for canning. I have quite a few apples left, so that may be how they end up.