This is a fantastic way of keeping apples on hand for using in lovely homemade recipes – we love it for Apple Pies, Crumbles, with Crepes and Icecream, in muffins or over granola. It has a great shelf life and must be water bathed as it does not have an acid base. Recipe can be varied according to taste.
Ingredients:
Large quantity of Apples (we like to use a mix of tart and sweet)
2 cups of White Sugar
1 cup of Brown Sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Pinch of cardamon powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sultanas
5 cups water
5 cups of Apple Juice
3 Table Lemon Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Cornflour or Arrowroot if necessary
Sterilise your glass jars in the oven at 100C for around 20 minutes.
Leave them in the oven till you are ready as they must stay hot.
Peel, Core and Slice your apples.
Combine sugars, spices, salt and add to apples with the sultanas in a large pot
Add the water and apple juice and cook on a high heat stirring frequently until boiling. Let boil for around a couple of minutes and add the lemon juice and zest.
It should be nice and thick at this stage (if it is not and needs some help make a slurry of cornflour or arrowroot powder with cold water and add a small amount stirring it well to help thicken – you don’t want it super thick)
When you are happy with the consistency pack your apple mix in hot jars remembering to leave a reasonable head space at the top – we recommend around 20mm or bottom rim of the jar lip to make it easy.
Use a wooden chopstick or jar bubble remover stick around the sides of your jar to ensure you get out any air bubbles in the apple mix.
Wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar and place on your dome seal lid then screw on your metal band to just fingertip tight (use your thumb and middle finger to ensure a good twist but not overtightening). The lid must be secure but not overtightened.
Use your canning tongs to put into your water bath with your hot water covering the jars you are using, ensuring you have a trivet on the base of the pot. Repeat till all jars are done and your pot is filled but jars are not touching each other.
Water bath for 20 minutes.
When done remove your jars with the canning tongs carefully and place hot jars on a wooden board (you don’t want to put on a cold bench surface as you will shock the jars). Let them cool for a few hours. The dome lids will suck in over this time indicating that they have sealed and then you can remove the bands.
Wipe jars with warm soapy water and store on your shelf.