Caramel Apple Jam

I differed from the original recipe slightly in that rather than coring, peeling, and dicing six cups of apples, I simply cored, roughly cut, and cooked the apples then put them through a food mill. This eliminates that whole peeling mess, and with a bushel, I’m so not into peeling! So instead of starting with six cups uncooked, diced apples, I started with six cups cooked apple pulp. This makes a few differences in your outcome–for one thing, the consistency of the apples is more what you normally use for apple butter or applesauce. Of course, there’s pectin involved, which makes more of a gelled “jam” effect. So in the end this creates something of a cross between a butter and a jam. It leaves, however, the caramel flavor intact. Some people might even mistake it for apple butter, minus the intensity of the cloves and plus the warm sweetness of brown sugar. Whatever you call it, it’s good.

Difficulty:

Servings: 4 pints

Cook Time: BWB 10 min  

Ingredients

6 cups cooked apple pulp
1 package fruit pectin
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Get your water boiling in your canning pot, rack tucked inside. Boil lids in another, smaller, pot, and remove to dry on a paper towel using tongs. While water is coming to a boil in your big pot with the rack, place prepared apple pulp in another large pot.

Add pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil. (Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming.)

Meanwhile, get your sugars measured and ready. As soon as apple pulp and pectin are at the boil, add sugars and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon all at once.

Return to boil and keep at the full, rolling boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and ladle immediately into clean jars. Place lids on top, screw on bands, and lower onto rack in your pot of boiling water. Cover and boil 10 minutes. For me, this made 4 pints or 8 half-pints per batch.

Categories: BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves

Submitted by: suzanne-mcminn on March 10, 2011