Freeze-Ahead Apple Filling

Ingredients:

• 12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• Water and orange juice
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 3 tblespoons cinnamon
• 1 tblespoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tblspoons butter

Instructions:

1.      Fill a large bowl about 1/3 of the way with water and pour about ½ cup of orange juice into the water. Stir to mix.
2.      As you peel and slice the apples, place the apples into the water mixture.
3.      After all the apples are in the water/orange juice solution, in a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter with a    pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
4.      Drain apples well in a colander and toss into the dry mixture covering the apples completely.
5.      Place the mixture into freezer safe Ziploc bags- you should have enough for 2 gallon sized bags or four quart sized bags if you like to make pies for one.
6.    This mixture can also be used for apple crisp and apple turnovers. You can mix smaller portions in with pancake batter for a nice treat too!
7.    To use: Remove mixture from freezer and pour into prepared shells in a lightly greased pie pan. Cover the pies with a second pie shell layer, cut three vent hole in the top shell, brush with butter and sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until pie is bubbling and crusts are golden brown.
8.    To use for apple crisp, pour into prepared pan with about ¼ cup of water, top with apple crisp topping recipe of your choice and bake at 400 until bubbling and the topping is slightly browned.
9.    To use for apple turnovers: Prepare your dough, roll out and cut into circles, place a small amount of filled in the center of each circle, fold in half, seal  with a fork and bake at 375 until golden brown. You can also brush the turnover tops with an egg and water wash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon before placing them into the oven to bake.