Homemade Apple Jam
I had some leftover apples from my most recent attempt at making apple pie, and they were becoming soft. Wondering what purpose I could put them to, I scrounged around a little on the internet, and found a number of uses for old apples. Looking at the ingredients I currently had, I decided upon a pectin-less apple jam recipe. Here goes, with slight modifications:
Ingredients
- 7 1/2 cups apples (mixed variety), cored, peeled, and cut into 3/4″ chunks
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 3 tbsp of water and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring.
- Add in apples and vanilla, mixing to make sure all apples are coated.
- Simmer apples over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been evaporated. Stir occasionally. Add spices to taste if desired (cinnamon, cloves, etc.).
- The apples have finished cooking when they are soft and translucent. Add in lemon juice and stir. Mash up the apples with a wooden spoon, or leave them chunky if preferred.
- Store jam in a glass jar and refrigerate for up to one month.
It was my first time making this jam; it turned out delicious! Without pectin, the jam comes out with chunkier and mushier, rather than of a gelatinous texture. I’d say to try finishing the jam within 2 weeks or less, just to be safe – especially if you are not using sterilized glass jars.