4 1/2 cups White Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Clear Jel
(Original recipe called for 1 Cup of Corn Starch. See note at the bottom of the page.)
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
(Adjust to taste. I like a lot of cinnamon and hubby, not so much. We have compromised at 2 teaspoons.)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
(Adjust to taste. I have seen recipes call for as much as 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Salt
10 cups of Water.
(Half water and half apple juice can be used if desired. I just use water.)
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Approximately 20 pounds of apples (Enough to fill seven quarts)
1. Mix sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large pan. Add water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
2. Sterilize canning jars.
3. Peel, core, and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into canning jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
4. Fill jars with hot syrup covering apples and make sure to leave the 1/2 inch of head space.
5. Gently remove air bubbles with a knife.
6. Wipe rims to make sure they are clean.
7. Place lids and rings on the jars. Screw down finger tight.
8. Place in canner and process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.
Note:
My original recipe called for 1 cup of cornstarch. The USDA now says that using cornstarch is unsafe when canning. In spite of the warnings, I have continued to use cornstarch when I do not have Clear Jel available. The USDA currently (2022) approves the use of Clear Jel for canning recipes. Typically, the conversion from cornstarch to Clear Jel in a recipe is 1 unit (cornstarch) to 1.5 units (Clear Jel). In addition to the warning about safety, cornstarch in a canning recipe gets cloudy over time and the jars will no longer look pretty sitting on the shelf. Whether or not to use Cornstarch in a pinch is up to the reader.