CANNING: Apple Slices for Baking

• Canned Apple Slice Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Can Apple Slices for Baking
• Pantry Storage Tips
• Canning Apple Slices for Baking

Fall is just around the corner, and with it, mountains of ripe apples from your local orchards (or your own back yard, if you’re lucky!). Not all apples store well, and most of us don’t have room to keep baskets of them in cold storage through the winter. But not to worry… you can slice and can your ripe apples to use for pies, cobblers, crisps, crumbles, coffeecakes, apple brown betties or baked oatmeal any time of year!

This tested method for canning baking apples in a light syrup is so easy, and quite versatile. The basic recipe uses a light simple syrup with lemon, but I like to add a cinnamon stick to add a bit of spice.

I also like to can at least a few jars of apple pie filling, applesauce, and apple butter in the fall, as well as apple jelly, chutneys, and mixed fruit preserves, but these simple canned apple slices are a true pantry workhorse.

You can snack on them right out of the jar, toss them with flour or other starch to thicken for pies and cobblers, or chop them up and fold into your favorite batter to bake muffins, quick bread, apple fritters, and coffee cakes.

And since peeling and slicing the apples is the most tedious and time consuming part of baking with fresh apples, once you’ve canned a batch or two of these to stock your pantry, you can throw together your favorite apple recipes in record time!

Canned Apple Slice Ingredients

Apples:

You can use any firm, ripe baking type apple, or even better, a blend of several baking varieties. The Ball recipe for these canned apple slices recommends peeling them, but you can also leave the peels on (per a tested recipe for apple rings from Bernardin). It’s really up to you, and what texture you prefer. The peels are rich in fiber and nutrients, but can get tough in storage.

I recommend peeling your apples if they have been waxed or sprayed with pesticides, and if they’re organic, it’s just a matter of preference! Either way, wash your apples well before coring and slicing them.

Sugar:

Use white granulated sugar for your simple syrup, to let the tart spiced flavor of the fresh apples shine through. The sugar helps preserve the firm texture and color of the apples as well as making the tart baking apples somewhat sweeter.

I found that the original recipe didn’t make enough simple syrup to cover all of the apple slices, so I have increased the volume of the syrup ingredients a bit. If you somehow end up with extra syrup, keep it in a jar in the fridge and use it for baking, cocktails, or to sweeten iced tea or coffee drinks.

Lemon juice:

Use bottled lemon juice, not fresh, for this apple slice canning recipe. Bottled lemon juice has a standardized acidity level, which ensures your apples will be the correct pH for safe water-bath canning.

Ascorbic acid (optional):

To best protect the color of the apples while you are slicing them, prepare a solution of powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C), also sold as “Fruit Fresh” powder from Ball and other canning supply companies. It’s cheaper to buy it in bulk online, and lasts a very long time in an airtight jar.

If you don’t have any, you can also use a strong lemon water solution, though the ascorbic acid powder has a more neutral flavor, and is more effective at preventing browning than lemon water.

Dunk your apples in this solution as you peel them, and keep the slices submerged by using a plate or other non-reactive food-safe weight on top to keep them under the acidulated water until you are ready to can them.

Flavoring:

The original recipe uses a plain lemon and sugar simple syrup. I like to add a cinnamon stick to the syrup to lightly flavor the apples with cinnamon. You can follow my example here or use plain water, as you like. Use whole spices, not ground ones, for a clear syrup and flavor.

I recommend canning some jars with either plain syrup or just cinnamon, which are versatile enough to use in almost any recipe. However, if you have a lot of apples to can, and want to experiment, you can do smaller batches with different spices added to the simple syrup. Some suggestions for single spices or blends to try out:

• Star anise
• Green or black cardamom
• Cloves
• Coriander seed
• Dried or fresh lemon or orange slices
• Split vanilla beans

Whatever you use, make sure your spices are fresh and aromatic, and adjust the seasonings to taste before canning.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

large stockpot or saucepan:

You’ll need several pots to can the apple slices… one to poach the apples, and one larger pot to can them. You’ll need at least a 4 to 8 quart pot to make the light simple syrup (plain lemon or cinnamon syrup) and then to blanch the sliced apples in 6 cup batches.

This recipe is written for four quarts of apples, but you can scale it up or down to match the number of jars you have available or apples that you need to process.

quart or smaller canning jars and new lids:

I recommend canning these apple slices in quart jars for pies, crisps, and cobblers, and in smaller jars for making muffins, quick breads, coffeecakes, snacking, or adding to oatmeal. Processing time is the same for quart or smaller jars.

large canning pot:

You need a large canning pot with a lid that will hold all of your canning jars with room for at least an inch of rapidly boiling water to cover the lids. You can use any pot with a lid that will hold all of your jars, plus enough boiling water to cover by an inch or two and room at the top for a vigorous boil.

It’s okay to stack the jars if your pot is tall enough, but it’s best to use a jar rack or a perforated steamer insert separating between the layers so that the jars don’t jostle and break.

heat-resistant spoons:

A slotted spoon or wire strainer is helpful for blanching the apple slices. You’ll need to stir them to get them all submerged in the syrup, as the volume of syrup doesn’t fully cover all of the fruit unless your apples are very juicy.

Canning funnel, ladle, jar tongs, and rack:

These tools are optional but make the job of filling your jars with your hot apple slices, and getting them into and out of the hot water bath a lot easier and safer!

It’s best to use a canning pot with a false bottom or fitted with a jar rack to keep your canning jars from scorching or breaking on the bottom. This lets the heat circulate evenly around the jars, and protects the bottoms of the jars of fruit from burning.

If you don’t have a jar rack, use a silicone trivet or extra canning jar rings (tie them with butcher’s twine so they form an elevated platform above the bottom of the pot for your jars), or even an old folded clean cotton kitchen towel under the jars (make sure it’s 100% cotton so that it doesn’t melt!).

You can read more about these and our recommendations in our guide to canning equipment if you don’t already have these or are new to canning.

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How to Can Apple Slices for Baking

prepare canning pot & jars:

• Wash your canning jars and rings with hot, soapy water and rinse well.
• Inspect the jars for cracks, nicks, or defects in the sealing surface, and discard any damaged jars.
• Fill your canning pot with water and bring it up to a low simmer. You can pre-heat and sterilize your jars if you like, though it isn’t necessary as long as they’re clean.

prepare simple syrup:

• In a large non-reactive pot, add the sugar, lemon juice, and optional spices.
• Pour in the water (or apple juice) and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring up to a simmer on medium heat while you prepare the apples.
• Reduce the heat to low and keep syrup hot until apples are ready.

peel and slice apples:

• Prepare a 4-8 quart container with a quart or two of cold water and either a splash of lemon juice, a teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder, or several crushed vitamin C tablets.
  • This is will protect the cut apple slices from browning and discoloring.
• Wash the apples before slicing.
• Using a sharp paring knife or peeler, peel each apple (optional), core it, and cut into 1/4″-1/2″ slices.
  • I like to leave some of the peels on for texture, but if your fruit has been waxed or don’t like peels in your pies, you should peel them completely.
  • I often make a second, small bowl of the vitamin C water to dunk the apple as I peel and slice it. This will wash off any small bits of seed, core, or peel. Then, transfer the apple slices to the large container of acidulated water.
• Immediately dunk the apple slices into the vitamin C water to prevent the apples from oxidizing and browning.
• Keep working in batches until all of the apples have been peeled and sliced.

blanch the apple slices:

• Bring the pot of simple syrup back up to a boil.
• Drain the apples from the lemon or vitamin C water, or remove them with a slotted spoon or strainer.
• Blanch the sliced apples in the hot syrup, simmering them on medium-high heat for 5 full minutes after the syrup boils again.
• Stir the apples gently several times, and cover the pot to steam any apples that are not submerged.

fill jars:

• Remove the pot from the heat, and immediately pack the hot apple slices into the prepared and preheated canning jars.
• Use a jar funnel if you have one to keep the jar rims cleaner, and carefully spoon the blanched apple slices into the jars.
• Leave 1/2″ headspace in the jars.
• Using a de-bubbling tool, chopstick, or thin spatula, stir gently to remove air bubbles. Top up jars with more syrup, boiling water, or hot apple juice if needed after removing any large air bubbles.
• Wipe the jar rims with a damp, clean cloth to remove any residue.

water-bath:

• Using jar tongs or a jar rack, carefully place the filled jars of apple slices into the hot water bath.
• Make sure the jars are covered by at least one and preferably two inches of boiling water. Top up the pot with hot water from a kettle if necessary.
• Cover the pot, checking until the pot of water has returned to a rolling boil.
• Start a timer for 20 minutes once the water bath is boiling, and cover the pot.
• Adjust the processing time for elevations higher than 3001 ft (see chart in recipe notes for longer processing times for higher elevations).
• After the 20 minutes are up, turn off the heat, and set another timer for 5 minutes, leaving the pot covered and the jars undisturbed.

cool, check seals, store:

• Remove the jars from the canner when the 5 minute timer is done, and set them on a folded towel or wire rack to cool. Use your jar tongs again or the jar-lifter rack.
  • I prefer removing the jars individually with jar tongs so they don’t clang together, break, or drip as much, even if I’m using a jar lifter rack.
• Leave the jars undisturbed overnight (or until completely cooled, at least 8-12 hours).

Pantry Storage Tips

After jars are cooled and seals are set (I leave them at least overnight but no more than 24 hours), check that all jars of apple slices are sealed, carefully wash jars, label them, and remove rings before storing.

• Sealed jars with metal lids will not flex when the seal is pressed, and the lid has a firm vacuum seal with the jar.
• Any jars of apple slices that did not seal can be reprocessed with new lids within 24 hours of canning. For any jars that didn’t seal, check the jar rim surface for chips and the ring for dents.
• If you don’t want to re-can the jars that didn’t seal, they may be immediately refrigerated and used first.

• Gently wash jars or wipe with a damp cloth to remove any sugary residue or hard water deposits from the canning bath.
• Clearly label your jars with the name and date of your product, and store them in a cool, dark pantry.

• Store your sealed jars of apple slices in a cool, dark pantry. 
• Temperature swings and direct sunlight will shorten the shelf life and damage the quality & flavor of your home canned foods.
• Home canned goods are best consumed within 12-18 months, but should be safe much longer as long as the seal is intact and the jars show no signs of spoilage.
• Discard any jars that lose their seals in storage, bubble or hiss when opened, or have an off smell or visible signs of spoilage.
• Once you open a jar of apple slices, use it right away, and refrigerate any leftovers. They’ll last for up to a week in the fridge.

Canning Apple Slices for Baking

Alewyfe

This tested method for canning baking apples in a light syrup is so easy, and quite versatile. These simple canned apple slices are a true pantry workhorse.

The basic recipe uses a light simple syrup with lemon, but I like to add a cinnamon stick to add a bit of spice… or refer to the post for even more flavor infusion ideas.

I've doubled the quantity of the syrup ingredients, as I always run out when making this recipe as originally written. If you end up with extra syrup after packing your apples in jars, save it in the fridge and use it for baking, mixing drinks, or sweetening iced tea and coffee drinks.

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Water-Bath Processing Time 20 minutes mins

Course Canning Basics, Pantry Staples, Small Bites & Snacks

Cuisine American, Contemporary, Southern

YIELD 4 quarts

Equipment

• 1 large stockpot or water-bath canner
• canning jars, rings, and new lids
• jar lifters or tongs or jar rack with handles
• large heavy-bottomed jam or sauce pot (to make simple syrup and poach apples)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 10 – 12 lbs Granny Smith or other firm baking apples
• 2 tsp Ball Fruit-Fresh ( or other vitamin C powder) (dissolve in 2-3 quarts of water)

Simple syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups water (or apple juice)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 large cinnamon stick (optional, see recipe for other spice ideas)

Instructions

 

prepare canning pot & jars:

• Wash your canning jars and rings with hot, soapy water and rinse well.
• Inspect the jars for cracks, nicks, or defects in the sealing surface, and discard any damaged jars.
• Fill your canning pot with water and bring it up to a low simmer. You can pre-heat and sterilize your jars if you like, though it isn’t necessary as long as they’re clean.

prepare simple syrup:

• In a large non-reactive pot, add the sugar, lemon juice, and optional spices.
• Pour in the water (or apple juice) and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring up to a simmer on medium heat while you prepare the apples.
• Reduce the heat to low and keep syrup hot until apples are ready.

peel and slice apples:

• Prepare a 4-8 quart container with a quart or two of cold water and either a splash of lemon juice, a teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder, or several crushed vitamin C tablets.
• This is will protect the cut apple slices from browning and discoloring.
• Wash the apples before slicing.
• Using a sharp paring knife or peeler, peel each apple (optional), core it, and cut into 1/4″-1/2″ slices.
• I like to leave some of the peels on for texture, but if your fruit has been waxed or don’t like peels in your pies, you should peel them completely.
• I often make a second, small bowl of the vitamin C water to dunk the apple as I peel and slice it. This will wash off any small bits of seed, core, or peel. Then, transfer the apple slices to the large container of acidulated water.
• Immediately dunk the apple slices into the vitamin C water to prevent the apples from oxidizing and browning.
• Keep working in batches until all of the apples have been peeled and sliced.

blanch the apple slices:

• Bring the pot of simple syrup back up to a boil.
• Drain the apples from the lemon or vitamin C water, or remove them with a slotted spoon or strainer.
• Blanch the sliced apples in the hot syrup, simmering them on medium-high heat for 5 full minutes after the syrup boils again.
• Stir the apples gently several times, and cover the pot to steam any apples that are not submerged.

fill jars:

• Remove the pot from the heat, and immediately pack the hot apple slices into the prepared and preheated canning jars.
• Use a jar funnel if you have one to keep the jar rims cleaner, and carefully spoon the blanched apple slices into the jars.
• Leave 1/2″ headspace in the jars.
• Using a de-bubbling tool, chopstick, or thin spatula, stir gently to remove air bubbles. Top up jars with more syrup, boiling water, or hot apple juice if needed after removing any large air bubbles.
• Wipe the jar rims with a damp, clean cloth to remove any residue.

water-bath process:

• Using jar tongs or a jar rack, carefully place the filled jars of apple pie filling into the hot water bath.
• Make sure the jars are covered by at least one and preferably two inches of boiling water. Top up the pot with hot water from a kettle if necessary.
• Cover the pot, checking until the pot of water has returned to a rolling boil.
• Start a timer for 20 minutes once the water bath is boiling, and cover the pot.
• Adjust the processing time for elevations higher than 3001 ft (see chart in recipe notes for longer processing times for higher elevations).
• After the 20 minutes are up, turn off the heat, and set another timer for 5 minutes, leaving the pot covered and the jars undisturbed.

cool, check seals, store:

• Remove the jars from the canner when the 5 minute timer is done, and set them on a folded towel or wire rack to cool. Use your jar tongs again or the jar-lifter rack… I prefer removing the jars individually with jar tongs so they don’t clang together, break, or drip as much, even if I’m using a jar lifter rack.
• Leave the jars undisturbed overnight (or until completely cooled, at least 8-12 hours).

Keyword 4th of July, autumn, baking, canning, comfort food, easy, fall, fall foods, farm-to-table, farmhouse food, food preservation, frugal, fruit, hobbit food, holiday, homemade gift, kid-friendly, meal prep, pantry staples, simple, southern, sweet treats, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian, water-bath, winter, winter canning

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