Peach Pie Filling

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 8 lbs peaches or 8 lbs nectarines, fully ripe firm
• 7 cups sugar
• 2 cups clear jel
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Recipe

• 1 wash peaches or nectarines, peel peaches and cut fruit into 1/2 inch slices.
• 2 to prevent darkening, place fruit in ascorbic acid solution (this can be found right next to the canning supplies in your local stores, it's in a small green canister); drain well. measure 24 cups fruit. set aside.
• 3 in a 8-quart dutch oven or pot heat about 6 cups water to boiling.
• 4 add 6 cups peach slices; return to boiling. boil for 1 minute.
• 5 using a slotted spoon, transfer peaches to a large bowl; cover.
• 6 repeat with remaining fruit, 6 cups at a time.
• 7 drain water from the pot.
• 8 in same pot combine sugar, clear jell, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir in the 4 1/2 cups water.
• 9 cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to boil.
• 10 add the lemon juice; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• 11 stir in the almond extract.
• 12 immediately add fruit, stirring gently to coat.
• 13 heat for three minutes.
• 14 spoon hot fruit mixture into hot, clean, sterile quart size canning jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
• 15 remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims, and adjust lids.
• 16 process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes.
• 17 remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.
• 18 makes 6 quarts (enough for 6 pies).
• 19 to use pie filling: spoon 1 quart filling into a pastry lined 9-inch pie pan. dot with 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. cut slits in top crust; adjust top crust. seal and flute edges. cover edge of pie with foil. bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes; remove foil. bake 25-30 minutes more or until pastry is golden.