Dried Apricot Pie Filling

Recipe No. 415 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

• Apricots, dried — 8 pounds
• Water, cold — 2 gallons (8 No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, granulated — 8 pounds (4 No. 56 dippers)
• Nutmeg — as needed
• Salt — 1½ ounces (3 mess kit spoons)

Cornstarch — 12 ounces (¾ mess-kit cup)

• Water (for cornstarch) — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Lemon juice — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Cornstarch

1. Wash apricots. 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 apricots are tender. Drain.
4. Mix cornstarch and water; stir until smooth.
5. Add cornstarch mixture slowly to apricot liquid. Heat to boiling point; boil 5 minutes on until thick, stirring constantly.
6. Add apricots and lemon juice; mix well. Cool before placing in unbaked pie shells.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Apricots, dried — 10¼ oz Water, cold — 2½ cups Sugar, granulated — 10¼ oz Nutmeg — to taste Salt — about ¾ tsp Cornstarch — 1 oz Water (for cornstarch) — 5 tbsp Lemon juice — about 2 tsp

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 415, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.