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Canning

Zapple Pie Filling

By Sandy · From the Granny Plants Kitchen

Jars of Zapple pie filling labeled Sandy's Staples

Zucchini, disguised as apples. Peeled, seasoned, and thickened with Clear Jel the same way you'd can real apple pie filling — open a jar in January and nobody will know the difference.

Makes: ~7 quarts Process time: 35 min (quarts) Method: Water-bath canning

Ingredients

  • 9 lbs zucchini, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 5½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups Clear Jel (not cornstarch or flour)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 2½ cups cold water
  • 1¼ cups bottled lemon juice (not fresh — bottled has consistent, tested acidity)
  • A few drops yellow food coloring (optional, just for looks)

Steps

  1. Blanch the zucchini. Blanch zucchini chunks in boiling water for 1 minute to firm them up. Drain well.
  2. Make the filling base. In a large pot, whisk together sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the cold water and bottled lemon juice.
  3. Cook until thickened. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.
  4. Fold in zucchini. Fold the drained, blanched zucchini into the hot filling until well coated. Add food coloring here if using.
  5. Fill jars. Ladle hot filling into clean, hot quart jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids.
  6. Process. Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes (quarts) or 30 minutes (pints), adjusting for altitude. Cool undisturbed and check seals.

Notes

Clear Jel is not optional here — it's the only starch thickener tested safe for home canning. Regular cornstarch or flour can break down during processing and create an unsafe product. Look for it at canning/bulk supply stores or online.

Bottled lemon juice, not fresh — bottled juice has a standardized, tested acidity level that fresh-squeezed can't guarantee, and that acidity is part of what makes this safe to water-bath can.

Always follow current USDA or Extension-office guidance for processing times based on your altitude and jar size — starch-thickened canned goods are sensitive to getting this right, so it's worth double-checking against a current tested source like the National Center for Home Food Preservation before your first batch.

Use straight out of the jar as pie filling, or spoon it over ice cream, biscuits, or oatmeal — it doesn't have to end up in a crust.