Hello everyone!
I recently had a delightful surprise at a friend’s birthday party: I came home with an enormous 15-kilo box of stunning apples! (It was so heavy, I could barely lift it!) Sunday became an apple extravaganza as I spent the entire day processing these fruits. And believe me, 15 kilos is a mountain of apples! To add to the excitement, this all happened the day before school started in Latvia.
I decided to make the most of this apple bounty by turning some into apple pie filling and using a steam juicer for the rest. The result? A lovely, low-acid apple juice and a delicious apple puree. It was a busy day but so worth it!
This was my first time making apple pie filling for winter storage. Since I wasn’t familiar with Clear Jel and prefer to keep things simple, I chose not to thicken the filling before canning. Instead, I’ll thicken it when I’m ready to use it, ensuring it’s just right for each recipe.
As for the spices, this was a bit of an experiment for me. I didn’t have ground cinnamon, so I decided to use cinnamon sticks instead. I’m curious to see how the flavor will develop as it sits on the shelf. Fingers crossed it soaks in perfectly and doesn’t overpower the filling! 😄
Do you have any experience with using cinnamon sticks versus ground cinnamon in recipes like this? I’d love to hear your thoughts or any tips you might have for making the most of apple pie filling. Your advice would be incredibly helpful!
With the kids back in school and all the driving that feels like a never-ending road trip, life’s gotten pretty hectic. I’m looking forward to catching up on your blogs and comments tonight—literally from my bed, with a cup of tea and my pressure boots on!
Looking forward to your suggestions!
Best,
Ilze
P.S. I’ve seen so many wonderful comments and blog posts lately! I promise to catch up on all of them tonight. Thanks for your patience!
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
Oh my gosh, I can taste your apple pie, Ilze!
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I hope it will be “normal” or… “a bit spicy” 🙂 I will share the recipe tomorrow, so you can see what I’ve added. The best part – never made one in my life… Maybe Apple crumble, but not the pie 🙂
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Neither have I, but I suspect that you will do much better than I would! 😂❤️
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Ha, ha, ha good one John, good one 🙂 Have you ever eaten one?
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An apple pie? Of course but I am type 2 diabetic now so I have to be careful about what I eat. It sucks…
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I’m in a pre-diabetes state myself and have a Dexcom One installed to keep track of how my body reacts to different foods. I totally get where you’re coming from. I made this recipe more for the kids and special celebrations—definitely not something we indulge in every day!
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Aw, you seem like a very good moma, Ilze! ❤️ I’m glad that you are keeping a sharp eye on your blood glucose. That is the only way to beat the disease is to stay focused.
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Thank you, John. It’s definitely tough, especially with everything else going on! But I do my best and try to stay on top of it. I’ve learned to accept that I’ll slip up sometimes (more than I would want), and that’s okay too—it’s all part of the journey.
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You’re welcome. ☺️
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