I am obsessed with all things apples this month! I love these Discovery apples from my parent’s garden and I want to try to preserve the joy for as long as possible. Their season is starting to wane now so I thought I’d take some of the worse looking ones and turn them into Jam!
This jam is a deliberately chunky one as I am hoping to be able to use it to make thinks like jam pies later in the year when I want to remember the gorgeous fragrant flavour of these lovely apples. It has just a hint of cinnamon in to that end too. Apples and cinnamon is a brilliant combination but one it took me a while to come round to. Now I’ve come round I’m a big fan!
I love the colour of this jam that comes from the pink flesh of the Discovery apple, if you use another apple then it will probably be a much paler colour but I’m sure would still be delicious!
Makes 6 jars
2 kg peeled and cored apples
1.5kg granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
small knob unsalted butter (* optional)
(0.75kg sugar to 1kg apples)
– Core and peel your apples and slice them roughly, leaving them fairly large, and place them immediately in a large bowl of cold water with lemon juice to stop them from turning brown while you do the rest.
– Drain your apples and weigh them, you want 0.75kg sugar for every 1kg of apples.
– Add the apples to a large, heavy bottomed jam pan.
– Add the sugar and cinnamon.
– I like to add a splash of water to start things off, about 100ml, but that’s because I’m a nervous jam maker!
– Turn up the heat!
– Prepare your jam jars, either by running them through the dishwasher or washing them in hot, soapy water then drying them in the oven on a very low heat. Lids can be sterilised in boiling water.
– Boil your apples and sugar, the sugar will melt and the apples will start to break down, which is why we kept them quite chunky to begin with.
– Keep boiling for about 50mins-1 hour, stirring frequently to avoid catching but not too vigorously so as to avoid breaking down the apple as it cooks.
– If you have a jam thermometer you want to get it to 104C, Jam temperature. If you don’t you can see that the bubbles get sort of small and the mixture more slow and gloopy. It will drip slowly off the spoon. If you pour a small bit onto a cold saucer and push your finger through it it should wrinkle up. These are all signs that your jam is done.
– Add the knob of butter and give a good stir round. (*optional)
– Carefully ladle into your prepared jam jars and seal the lids on tight. Leave to cool, the lids should sick in so there is no dimple. If any don’t seal then use these first and keep in the fridge.
Anna in the kitchen 