Dried Apple Pie Filling

Recipe No. 414 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, dried — 12 pounds
• Water, cold — 4½ gallons (18 No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, granulated — 12 pounds (6 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 2 ounces (4 mess kit spoons)
• Nutmeg — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Cornstarch — 10 ounces (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Water (for cornstarch) — 1 pint (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Lemon juice — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Cornstarch

1. Wash apples. Cover with cold water; soak 2 hours.
2. Add sugar, nutmeg, and salt; mix well.
3. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until apples are tender. Drain.
4. Mix cornstarch and water; stir until smooth.
5. Add cornstarch mixture slowly to hot apple juice. Heat to boiling point; boil 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.
6. Add apples and lemon juice; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shells.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Apples, dried — 15⅓ oz Water, cold — 1½ qt Sugar, granulated — 15⅓ oz Salt — about 1 tsp Nutmeg — a pinch Cornstarch — ¾ oz Water (for cornstarch) — 2½ tbsp Lemon juice — about 2 tsp

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 414, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.