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Double Line Drip Irrigation. Southern San Joaquin Valley. 2016 PDF - Almonds
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Micro-sprinkler. San Joaquin Valley North. 2016. PDF - Olive Oil
Super High Density. San Joaquin Valley 2007. PDF - Olives - San Joaquin Valley. 2005 PDF
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Late Leafing - Lateral Bearing. San Joaquin Valley North. 2017. PDF - Walnuts
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- Almonds
Pear-fection: Apple-Pear-Cranberry Pie Filling (October 2025)
Kirsten Hansen, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer
Jar of pie filling on a marble countertop (Photo by Penny Pearson, used with permission).
October is peak apple and pear season across much of California. This tasty Apple-Pear-Cranberry pie filling makes the most of the season’s abundance and gives you a start on holiday baking; when it’s time to make a holiday pie, just open a quart of the pie filling, add it to your favorite pie crust, and bake.
Apple-Pear-Cranberry Pie Filling
Yield: About 3 (1-QT/1-L) jars
Source: The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving © 2016
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 L) water
- ¾ cup (175 mL) bottled lemon juice, divided
- 5 cups (1.25 L) thinly sliced peeled apples (2 lb./1kg apples)
- 5 cups (1.25 L) thinly sliced peeled pears (2 ¼ lb./1kg pears)
- 2 cups (500 mL) cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
- 2 1.2 cups (625 mL) sugar
- 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine water and ¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice in a large bowl. Submerge apple and pear slices in lemon water: drain.
- Combine fruit slices, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining ½ cup (125 mL) lemon juice in a 6-qt (6-L) stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and cook 10 minutes or until fruit releases its juices, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle hot fruit mixture into a hot jar, leaving 1/2-inch (1-cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in a boiling-water canner or atmospheric steam canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars for 30 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see table below). Turn off heat, remove lid from canner, and let jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside to cool.
- After jars are cool, check the seals, remove the rings, wash the jars if needed, label and store in a cool, dark place. Store any jars that did not seal in the refrigerator and use within a week. Alternatively, transfer the contents of unsealed jars to a freezer container or bag and freeze. Use within 6 months for best quality.
Image Credit: Penny Pearson, 2025.
To bake your pie:
Preheat oven to 400̊°F (200°C). Prepare your favorite pie crust. Roll out the piecrust into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate. Drain 1/3 cup of syrup from 1 jar of pie filling into a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons (30 mL) cornstarch until smooth. Add remaining pie filling, gently stirring to blend into cornstarch mixture. Pour into an unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate set on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°̊F (200°C) for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350̊°F (190̊°C); bake 25 more minutes or until golden brown.
Boiling water/Atmospheric Steam Canning Altitude Adjustments | |
Altitude Above Sea Level | Increase Processing Time by |
1,001 – 3,000 feet | 5 minutes |
3,001 – 6,000 feet | 10 minutes |
6,001 – 8,000 feet | 15 minutes |
8,001 – 10,000 feet | 20 minutes |
Want more pear and apple recipes? Join the Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program in October and November for a series of pear and apple-focused online classes.
Pear-Fection: Preserving the Flavors of Fall, Tuesday, 10/14/25, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Pear-Licious!: Preserving the Flavors of Fall, Saturday, 10/2, 10:00 - 11:00am
Core skills: Apple Butter & Dehydrated Apple Rings, Saturday, 11/8/25, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
From Orchard to Table: Apple Pie Filling & Freezing Apples, Wednesday, 11/19, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
