Apple Pie Filling

Recipe No. 405 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Pies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Apples, solid pack — 3 No. 10 cans
• Water — 2½ quarts (2½ No. 56 dippers)

Cornstarch — 15 ounces (1 mess kit cup)

• Water (for cornstarch) — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Sugar, granulated — 9 pounds (4½ No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — ¼ ounce (½ mess kit spoon)
• Butter — ¾ pound (½ mess cup)
• Cinnamon — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Lemon juice — 3 lemons

Directions

Key ingredients

Cinnamon · Cornstarch

1. Drain juice from apples. Add water to juice; heat to boiling point.
2. Mix cornstarch and water; stir until smooth. Add slowly to hot juice. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.
3. Add sugar and salt; stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
4. Add butter, cinnamon, lemon juice, and apples; mix well. Cool before placing in unbaked pie shells.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Apples, solid pack — 3 cups Water — 12¾ tbsp Cornstarch — 1¼ oz Water (for cornstarch) — 5 tbsp Sugar, granulated — 11½ oz Salt — a pinch Butter — 1 oz Cinnamon — a pinch Lemon juice — scale to taste (3 lemons)

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 405, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.