Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients 1 Quart 7 Quarts
Fresh sliced apples (blanched) 3 1/2 cups 6 quarts
granulated sugar 3/4 cup + 2 TB 5 1/2 cups
clear-jel 1/4 cup 1 1/2 cups
cinnamon 1/2 tsp.  1 TB
nutmeg (opt) 1/8 tsp 1 tsp
cold water or fruit juice 1/2 cup 2 1/2 cups
apple juice 3/4 cup 5 cups
yellow food coloring (opt) 1 drop 7 drops
bottle lemon juice  2 TB 3/4 cup

*Use Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, Granny Smith, or Jonathan Apples.

Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut slices ½ inch wide and place in water. Blanch 6 cups apples at a time for 1 minute in 1 gallon of boiling water. Keep blanched apples in a covered pot so they will stay warm. Combine sugar, Clear-Jel, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large kettle. Stir. Add water and/or apple juice, and food coloring. Stir and cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Drain apple slices. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gold in apple slices. Fill pint or quart jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Process immediately.

Blackberry (Cherry) Pie Filling
Ingredients 1 Quart 7 Quarts
Fresh blackberries 3 1/3 cups 6 quarts
granulated sugar 1 cup 7 cups
clear-jel 1/4 cup+ 1 TB 1 3/4 cup
cinnamon (opt) 1/8 tsp 1 tsp
cold water or fruit juice 1 1/3 cups 9 1/3 cups
almond extract* (opt) 1/4 tsp 2 tsp
food coloring* 6 drops 1/4 TSP
bottles lemon juice 1 TB+1 tsp 1/2 cup

*Only for Cherry, Blackberries may need more sugar

Prepare fruit. (Rinse, de-stem...) Combine sugar, Clear-Jel, and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Stir. Add water or juice, almond extract, and food coloring (if desired). Stir mixture and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in fruit. Fill quart jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Process immediately.