Five-Minute Apple Jam

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Wash some sweet-tart apples under running water. Don't bother halving them to dig out the core! Just slice the flesh off all four sides, cutting right up to—but not into—the core. Yes, you'll waste a bit more flesh this way, but prepping the apples goes much faster. That really pays off when you're putting up a big batch.

2. Step 2:

   

   Apples are usually cut either into large cubes or into thin slices. To my eye, the thin slices make for a prettier jam.

3. Step 3:

   

   Weigh the apples once they're cored and sliced. You'll need the exact weight to get the proportions right.

4. Step 4:

   

   So, the apple-to-sugar ratio here is 1 to 1.5. I ended up with 500 g of apples, which means I need 1.5 times as much sugar—about 750 g.

5. Step 5:

   

   Gently toss the apples with the sugar, taking care not to break up the slices. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. By morning the apples will have released plenty of juice.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pour the apples and their juice into a right-sized pot—I use a stainless steel saucepan. Bring the jam to a boil over low heat, stirring now and then so the apples don't stick to the bottom. Once it boils, cook for five minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it cool completely at room temperature.

7. Step 7:

   

   Once it's cooled, stir in the vanilla sugar and bring it back to a boil over low heat. Cook it for the same five minutes after it boils.

8. Step 8:

   

   While it's still hot, ladle the jam into clean jars, let it cool, and store it in the fridge. I've never kept this jam longer than two or three weeks. For long-term storage, you'd want to properly can it.