big canning day!

Big day you've had! Will you have more to do before your garden is done?

You can freeze pies. Turkey pot pies, fruit pies. I do it all the time. Just make it (lining pie pan with plastic wrap first), freeze, pop it out, wrap tightly with plastic, then wrap in butcher paper. Longest I've kept one has been 5 months before we decided to eat it, but I figure they should keep at least a year. Unwrap and place back into pie pan, cover and thaw in fridge for 24 hours prior to baking. Bake as usual. I use my German Never-Fail pie crust recipe which is flaky no matter what, but you can use plain pie pastry too.

German Never-Fail crust recipe:
(makes 2 whole pies)

In large bowl combine:
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

Cut in:
1 3/4 c. shortening (we like butter-flavor Crisco)

In small bowl combine:
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 c. cold water

Gently stir in egg mixture with a fork until dough comes together. Roll out as usual. I like this recipe for making pies during hot summer weather because it is always flaky and you can't overwork it.

ETA: You can waterbath can apple pie filling too, if you use Clear-Jel as your thickener (make sure not to get the instant, but the regular kind that sets as it cools. Or Mrs. Wage's filling mix, but that's kinda expensive if you have a lot to do.)

Thanks! I've never had good luck with pie crusts, usually I have to buy 'em and fill them. But I've never tried that recipe. Where do you get clear-jel? I've never heard of it. Does it have another name?

I buy my clear-jel from Amazon here. There are a couple of brands out there, I think. Some people say they can find it at Walmart, Amish bulk stores or the feed n' seed, but I never have been able to get it locally where I live. You can use it to make gravies and such too, just as you use cornstarch. It's different in how it sets up and that's why it's the only thickener recommended for canning. It doesn't set until it cools down.

Picked apples yesterday, today I'll be juicing (for jelly) , paring and slicing for pies, and possibly drying some as well.

Pictures!

Such pretty jars, when you see them all side by side. I see you've got some pickled okra there. I was just lamenting that mine haven't amounted to enough to pickle.

You've been hard at work! Looks yummy!

We canned up 21 quarts of green beans yesterday!

Wow!! Nice job! You will be making a lot fewer trips to the grocery store this winter! I loved having apple pie filling canned. You can throw a pie together in a couple minutes- when you don't have all that prep.

Lesa, what is your secret to that apple pie filling? Mine came out mushy. I figured that 20 water bath and then baking for an hour would do that. It looked like apple sauce!

Mary