Apples, Apples, Apples!

My Dad works in a town in North Georgia that calls itself the "Apple Capital Of Georgia." After talking to people that have lived in the area their whole lives my dad found the secret to buying local apples. There is an orchard that sells apples wholesale as well as retail in their market. But the secret is that you can buy seconds (or irregulars- think outlet shopping) for $.14 a pound. YES- FOURTEEN CENTS! So I am now on my second 25 lb box of apples. The first box I canned apple pie filling and and apple-onion-ale relish. I found this recipe over at Punk Domestics. The relish is amazing on a grilled ham and sharp cheddar cheese sandwich. After trying different recipes and trying different ingredients this is my favorite pie filling recipe:

18 large apples
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon*
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup Amaretto*

*I also made a batch that substituted these 2 ingredients for ground ginger and Grand Marnier plus the zest of one orange.

Peel, core, and slice apples- I love my Apple Master. Put apples, sugar, butter water, vanilla and cinnamon to a large pot, bring it to a boil and make sure all ingredients are well incorporated, reduce heat to low, add amaretto and simmer another 5 minutes. Pack in jars and process in water bath for 20 minutes.