Saturday, December 6, 2025

Previous-Usual Apple Preserves Recipe – Sustainable Cooks

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This home made apple preserves recipe is a scrumptious unfold for toast, yogurt, or desserts. Made with out pectin and decrease in sugar than conventional recipes, this apple pie jam could be frozen or canned in a water tub canner.

Dwelling in Washington State means I KNOW apples. And I spit on the bottom if anybody tries to inform me they like Crimson Scrumptious. Go away.

Understanding apples means I like to make and may apple butter and applesauce, and now, these apple preserves!

If apple pie and apple jam had a child, it could be this scrumptious and easy recipe. (Disclaimer: don’t eat infants).

apples, sugar, a lemon, and cinnamon sticks on a grey speckled board.apples, sugar, a lemon, and cinnamon sticks on a grey speckled board.

You may actually use any of type of apple for this recipe. Baking or saucing apples will cook dinner down extra rapidly, however even if you happen to use juicing apples, this recipe will nonetheless be successful. You’ll simply must cook dinner it down for a very long time.

How one can Make Apple Preserves

*I’ll stroll you thru it right here with some pictures and ideas, and also you’ll additionally discover a printable recipe card on the backside of the submit with precise measurements, and so forth. It’s also possible to click on “soar to recipe” to skip down.

If canning just isn’t for you, don’t fear, I checklist different storage strategies later within the printable recipe card.

Making the Apple preserves

Apples can brown rapidly when uncovered to air. When you’d like, you’ll be able to mix chilly water and lemon juice in a bowl and soak the apples when you peel and chop them. This step just isn’t needed, but when working rapidly isn’t your type, it could enhance the general look of the completed apple preserves.

Peel and core the apples, and chop them into items. The smaller the items, the faster every part will cook dinner down. However principally, you’re on the lookout for a tough chop.

Place the apples, sugar, water, lemon zest, and cinnamon sticks in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook dinner, stirring usually, over medium warmth till they’ve softened. This might take 10-25 minutes, relying in your apples.

a observe from sarah

ingredient Tip

When you’re working with super-sweet apples, you can begin with much less sugar and style as you go.

You don’t want the complete quantity of sugar known as for on this recipe for it to be secure for canning. Modify the sugar to your individual private style and the apple selection.

Add further splashes of water if the preserves are beginning to burn. Sure sorts of apples will want extra water. Simply keep watch over every part, and life can be grand.

Discard the cinnamon stick as soon as the apples are translucent and the liquid has been decreased.

Smash the chopped apples with a picket spoon, pastry cutter, or potato masher till they’ve reached your required texture. You’re the cook dinner/chef, and also you get to resolve after they look excellent for you.

Canning The Preserves

Whereas the preserves are cooking, begin your canning prep.

Put together your water tub canner by filling it with water. You might want to have sufficient water to cowl the jars by 1 inch as soon as the water is boiling.

Set the canner on the range with the lid on. Flip the burner to excessive. If it reaches a boil earlier than you’re accomplished making the preserves, cut back it to a simmer, maintaining the lid on.

Wash and clear your jars. You’ll wish to preserve them heat to keep away from having them crack when positioned within the canner. You may fill them with sizzling water, or place them on a tray within the oven at 170˚F.

Wash your lids and set them apart in a clear place.

Utilizing a canning funnel, ladle the recent preserves into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

a observe from sarah

Nerdy Canning Tip

Headspace is the gap between the highest of the meals and the highest of the jar.

Clear the rim of the jar very properly with a sizzling, damp rag. Place a clear lid on the jar. Add a hoop, and tighten to fingertip tight.

Utilizing canning tongs, gently place your jars within the canner. Put the lid of the canner on. As soon as the water within the canner returns to a rolling boil, set your timer. Processing occasions will differ primarily based on altitude. See the chart beneath.

Canning Instances for Apple Preserves

As soon as the jars have been processed for the suitable period of time, take away the canner from the burner. Sporting oven mitts, rigorously take off the lid of the canner, and permit it to take a seat for five minutes. For the tip: I have a tendency to simply slide the canner into the center of my range, because it weighs a ton.

Fastidiously take away the jars with canning tongs, and place them on a thick towel in a spot the place they are often undisturbed for 12 hours.

The lids will possible begin to pop inside 20-Half-hour of being faraway from the water. That popping sound is music to your ears, because it tells you that every part has been sealed. It’s a reward for all of your work!

After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, press down in the midst of every lid. If it “provides” in any respect, the jar didn’t seal. Both take pleasure in it that day, put it within the fridge, or reprocess it utilizing a model new lid.

an overhead photo of a jar of apple pie jam with a fresh apple and a spoon.an overhead photo of a jar of apple pie jam with a fresh apple and a spoon.

Stop your display from going darkish

Making Apple Preserves

  • Peel, core, and chop the apples.

    3 lbs apples, peeled, cored, chopped

  • Place the apples, sugar, water, lemon zest, and cinnamon sticks in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook dinner, stirring usually, over medium warmth till they’ve softened. This might take 10-25 minutes, relying on the ripeness of your apples. Add further splashes of water if the preserves are beginning to burn.

    1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup water

  • Discard the cinnamon sticks as soon as the apples are translucent and the liquid has been decreased.

  • Smash the chopped apples with a picket spoon, pastry cutter, or potato masher till they’ve reached your required texture. Add extra water 1 tbsp at a time if wanted.

Canning Apple Preserves {Non-compulsory}

  • Whereas the preserves are cooking, begin your canning prep.

  • Put together your water tub canner by filling it with water. You might want to have sufficient water to cowl the jars by 1 inch as soon as the water is boiling.

  • Set the canner on the range with the lid on. Flip the burner to excessive. If it reaches a boil earlier than you’re accomplished making the preserves, cut back it to a simmer, maintaining the lid on.

  • Wash and clear your jars. You’ll wish to preserve them heat to keep away from having them crack when positioned within the canner. You may fill them with sizzling water, or place them on a tray within the oven at 170˚F.

  • Wash your lids and set them apart in a clear place.

  • Utilizing a canning funnel, ladle the recent preserves into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Headspace is the gap between the highest of the meals and the highest of the jar.

  • Clear the rim of the jar very properly with a sizzling damp rag.

  • Place a clear lid on the jar. Add a hoop, and tighten to fingertip tight.

  • Utilizing canning tongs, add jars to the boiling water, and put the canner lid on. For the tip: you will need to have not less than 1 inch of water over the tops of the jars for secure canning.

  • Course of half-pints and pints primarily based on the elevation information beneath:*0-1,000 ft = quarter-hour*1,001-6,000 ft = 20 minutes*6,000 ft+ = 25 minutes
  • As soon as the preserves have processed for the suitable period of time, take away the canner from the burner, rigorously take away the lid, and permit it to take a seat for five minutes. For the tip: attributable to steam, I put on oven mitts whereas eradicating the lid.

  • Utilizing canning tongs, rigorously take away the jars, and place them on a thick towel in a spot the place they are often undisturbed for 12 hours.

  • After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, gently press down in the midst of every lid. If it “provides” in any respect, the jar did not seal. Both take pleasure in it that day, put it within the fridge, or reprocess it.

  1. Because it cooks down, the preserves will darken in coloration. That is regular and okay!
  2. As soon as the jars have sealed, take away the rings. Label and retailer sealed jars in a cool (greatest outcomes are 50-70˚F) darkish place for as much as 12 months.
  3. When you open a jar, refrigerate the jar for 1-3 weeks.
  4. Makes 4-5 half-pints.
  5. To freeze: fill the jars leaving 1-inch of headspace. Enable the preserves to FULLY cool earlier than placing a lid on them and freezing them. Don’t defrost the jars in sizzling water as they’ll possible crack.

Serving: 2tbspEnergy: 34kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.3gFats: 0.1gSaturated Fats: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fats: 0.02gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 111IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg

Diet data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Get my Canning e-book!

It’s 51 pages of each useful tip and trick you possibly can need as a model new canner, AND it contains 13 ad-free canning recipes which are designed to take you from novice to professional.

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