Peach Pie Filling

Ingredients

2,900 gr prepared peaches approx
3 cinnamon stick
525 gr sugar
190 gr apples
170 gr golden raisins
120 ml lemon juice
60 ml vinegar
12 gr lemon rind
1 gr nutmeg

Instructions

Blanch, peel, pit and slice peaches; measure dozen cups (3 L). Tie cinnamon stick and whole cloves in a square piece of cheesecloth creating a spice bag. Combine peaches, spice bag, sugar, apples, raisins, lemon juice, vinegar, lemon rind and nutmeg in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, and boil gently 60-75 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

Fill boiling water canner with water. Place 4 clean pint (500 ml) mason jars in canner over hight heat. Place snap lids in boiling water; boil 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.

Discard spice bag. Ladle pie filling into a hot jar within 1 cm (1 cm) of top rim (head space). Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre snap lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining pie filling.

Cover canner; return water to a boil; process 15 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seals. Sealed lids 4 Pint (500 mL) Jars.

PEACH PIE: Prior to turning a jar of peach pie filling into unbaked pie crust--add 2 tablespoons corn starch to each pint jar; stir until well blended. Each jar contains enough filling for an 20 cm (22 cm) pie.