Wonderfully Tasty Apple Jam — A Bouquet of Apples, No Doubt About It

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Rinse the apples well and core them, removing the seeds (don't toss the cores — you'll use them).

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the first half of the apples — about 2 lbs (1 kg) — in a stainless steel pot and pour in 1 quart (1 L) of boiling water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Set it on the stove and bring the apples to a boil, stirring as they heat.

4. Step 4:

   

   Keep peeling and coring the rest of the apples, setting the cores aside in a separate saucepan rather than discarding them.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cover the cores and seeds with a cup of water, put on the lid, set the pan on the stove, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

6. Step 6:

   

   Once the pot of apples has cooled, bring it back to a boil — for the first batch or two it doesn't need long — then take it off the heat, drain it, and let the apples cool in another pot.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the second batch of apples to that same apple-flavored cooking water. Set it on the stove and bring to a boil.

8. Step 8:

   

   Give the fragrant cores a stir, lower the heat, and cook them another 15 minutes until done.

9. Step 9:

   

   Drain and strain the apple-core concentrate into a pot, then add the sugar — 1.2 kg of sugar for every 1 kg (about 2.6 lbs per 2 lbs) of apples.

10. Step 10:

    

    Turn on the stove, set the pot down, and stir well until the sugar fully dissolves. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the boiling syrup.

11. Step 11:

    

    Stir, then add 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid to keep the jam from crystallizing.

12. Step 12:

    

    Add the apples to the boiling syrup with a slotted spoon and cook until they turn translucent, skimming the foam, for 10–12 minutes.

13. Step 13:

    

    Our jam is ready.

14. Step 14:

    

    Use a slotted spoon to pack the apples into dry, sterilized jars.

15. Step 15:

    

    Wash the lids well, scald them with boiling water, and set them on a towel. Pour the warm syrup into the jars right to the top and seal with the dry lids.