If the idea of making homemade jam scares you, give it a try with apple jam which, in addition to being tasty, is easily made in no time. Choose the variety of apples you prefer and decide whether to also add spices that go well with the fruit, such as cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg. You can also try a variation of the recipe that involves combining the taste of apples with that of cranberries, honey or citrus. Once ready, you can keep the jam in the refrigerator to use it within a few days or you can put the jars to boil to create the vacuum and make it last for a long time.
Ingrediants
- 1-1.2 kg hard-boiled apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
- Water q.s.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg (optional)
- 50 g of pectin powder
- 900 g of granulated sugar
- 200 g of whole cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of butter
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the Jam
Step 1. Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces
Before removing the peel, wash them with cold water. Also remove the cores and then cut them into cubes no more than one centimeter large. Once ready, transfer the apple pieces to a graduated container and cover them with cold water until they reach the threshold of one liter. At this point, pour the water and apples into a large pot.
You can use any variety of apples. Try for example the rennet, the pink lady, the gala or the stark or the golden delicious. They are all suitable for cooking. Using more than one variety will result in a more complex tasting jam
Step 2. Add the other ingredients
Pour the lemon juice and pectin into the pot and, if desired, add the spices listed above: cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir until the ingredients are completely blended.
Spices will make the jam even tastier. Eating it will make you feel like you are savoring a slice of apple pie. If you prefer a more authentic flavor, just avoid using them
Step 3. Boil the ingredients and add the sugar
Turn on the stove over medium-high heat and wait for the water to start boiling briskly. At that point add the white sugar and the whole cane sugar. Stir it thoroughly to help it dissolve. When the mixture begins to boil again, stir it vigorously for 60 seconds.
The jam must boil briskly. You can make sure that the boiling level is right by checking that it continues to boil even as you stir
Step 4. Add the butter and remove the foam
Turn off the heat and carefully move the pot to a cold stove. Stir in half a teaspoon of butter to make the mixture less frothy and give it a slightly creamy consistency. Now use a skimmer to remove any foam still on the surface. When the jam has cooled a little, taste it to see if there is a need for corrections.
If you don't remove the foam, the jam will be cloudy and may have a chewy texture
Part 2 of 3: Try a Variant of the Recipe
Step 1. Add a note of honey and lemon
To make a fragrant citrus-flavored jam, cook the apple cubes in lemon juice until soft and flaky. At that point, mix in the honey and sugar. Bring the jam to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the liquid pectin. Let it boil for another two minutes and finally add the lemon zest. If you want, you can pour the jam into seven jars of 500 ml each and boil them in water to create the vacuum. To summarize, the ingredients you need to prepare this variant of the recipe are:
- 1.5 kg of apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces;
- 500 ml of lemon juice;
- 500 ml of honey;
- 700 g of white sugar;
- 1 sachet of liquid pectin;
- Zest of 3 lemons.
Step 2. Try ginger honey jam
If you like the fresh, aromatic flavor of ginger, you can blend it with water to make a puree to cook with apples. You need 360g of freshly chopped ginger and 240ml of water. Strain the puree with muslin cheesecloth to make about half a liter of ginger juice. At this point you can start making the jam by pouring the juice into a large pot along with 960 g of peeled, cored and diced or grated apples and 1.1 kg of granulated sugar. Bring the ingredients to a boil and let them boil for 25-30 minutes. At the end you can transfer the jam into the jars (about 6 of 500 ml each) and put them to boil to create the vacuum.
If you want to use a cake thermometer to check that the jam is ready, the required temperature is 100-105 ° C
Step 3. Pair apples with cranberries
After dicing the apples, mix them with fresh cranberries, sugar and water in a large pot. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and let them cook for 10-15 minutes before adding the lemon zest and juice. The jam should simmer over low heat until it thickens. Once ready, you can transfer it to 4-5 half-liter jars. The ingredients you need to prepare this variant of the recipe are:
- 1 kg of apples;
- 1, 350 kg of granulated sugar;
- 250 ml of water;
- The juice and zest of 2 lemons.
Step 4. Make apple butter (or apple butter)
If you like apple jam, but don't want to use so much sugar, you can try this Anglo-Saxon recipe, as long as you have a slow cooker available. First, put 2, 250 kg of apples cut into quarters, 250 ml of apple cider and 250 ml of apple cider vinegar in the pot. Once they have softened (after cooking for 3-4 hours), mash the apples and strain the puree to remove the peel and seeds. Add 100 g of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. Let the apple butter cook for a few more hours until it thickens. Once ready you can transfer it into 3 jars of half a liter each and put them to boil to create the vacuum.
It is important to respect the amount of sugar indicated when making the jam, without trying to reduce it to save on calories. The sugar acts as a preservative, so if you decrease the doses it is likely that the jam will not last long. If you want to be careful with the line, make apple butter which needs less sugar
Part 3 of 3: Sterilizing the Jars and Vacuum Packing Them
Step 1. Sterilize the glass jars and their lids
Place the jars, lids, and seals in a large pot filled with water. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil to heat the containers. The ideal would be to use new lids to make sure they are intact.
The jars must be hot by the time you fill them with the boiling jam. Otherwise they could shatter due to the sudden change in temperature
Step 2. Pour the hot jam into the jars very carefully
For convenience it is best to use a large funnel and ladle. Leave about half an inch of empty space between the apples and the rim of the jars. Wipe the thread or outside with a clean cloth if you accidentally spilled jam.
Be careful not to leave more free space than indicated. Otherwise there will be too much oxygen inside the jars and even if you put them to boil it will not be possible to sterilize that part, so the jam will go bad faster
Step 3. Cover the jars and put them to boil
Close them with hot gaskets and lids. Screw them on gently without tightening. At this point, immerse them in boiling water using tongs or a special basket. The water level must be at least 5 cm above the top of the jars, bring it to a boil, then cover the pot and let them boil for 10 minutes.
Resist the temptation to screw the lids on hard. Just close them using your fingertips, this way the air inside will have a chance to escape during the process
Step 4. Remove the jars from the pot
Turn off the stove and lift them out of the water using the tongs or basket. Place them on a clean towel on a flat surface, such as a table or kitchen worktop. Check that they are drafty so that the temperature remains constant. Let them rest for 12 hours and then check that they are properly sealed.
