Bourbon Apple Jam combines the delicious taste of apples with the deep flavors of bourbon for a jam that’s a twist on traditional varieties! Perfect to serve up next to a cheeseboard or toasted sourdough.
There’s something to be said about unique varieties of jam. I love making jam of all varieties – but even more, I love to EAT jam. When I switched to eating keto, making jam became so very difficult for me.
No more could I taste test the jam… 😔
Smother it on bread…
Or enjoy it with a cheeseboard (homemade cheeseboard of course!) I had to forego it altogether. This jam is no exception – I couldn’t taste test it either. However… thankfully I have kids that do the taste testing for me and it tends to work out so well. 🙌
Bourbon combined with apples, sugar, and cinnamon makes a really incredible flavor on jam that you could eat directly from the jar with a spoon. Or piled it on cream cheese-covered-crackers.
You could even go a step further and funnel the jam into these adorable 4 oz jars – they are the perfect size for gift giving, especially around Thanksgiving & the Holiday Season. I love these jars so much, I always buy a flat right around September/October so that I can use them just for that reason alone.
Tip: homemade baked goods, jam and handmade soap work great for bartering, too!
Bourbon Apple Jam
Start this jam by peeling and coring your apples. Slice thin, and toss in a large stock pot. Add your sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, bourbon and water.
Simmer the ingredients until the apples soften (7-8 minutes); once softened, use your immersion blender to blend some of the apples keeping some larger chunks.
Then bring the mixture to a rolling boil and maintain at that boil until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (that’s the setting temperature for the jam). Add a tsp of butter to reduce foaming.
Immediately ladle jam into hot, sterilized, half pint canning jars. Allow 1/4 inch headspace per jar. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (start timing when water starts to boil).
Remove jars from canner; cool on counter or wire rack. As jars cool, they will seal (you will hear them “ping”). Jars may take up to 24 hours to seal – once sealed, lids will not bounce back when pushed down. Recipe makes 3 half pints.
Tips for making the best Bourbon Apple Jam
- I did not can this recipe. Since it made just 3 half pints, I opted to use it rather quickly so I stored it in the fridge. If you choose to can it, you’ll want to use a water bath canner, and can as you would any regular jam recipe, taking care to sterilize your jars beforehand.
- You can use a combination of apples of your own choosing. I used Gala and Braeburn apples that were sitting on the day old rack at the produce market – since I was using them for jam, I didn’t need them to be in pristine condition.
- Feel free to adjust the cinnamon to your preference – I prefer to go heavy on the cinnamon for a more pronounced final flavor.
- Use your immersion blender to blend some of the apples, keeping some chunky as well – it adds texture and fun to the jam.
More Jam & Jelly Recipes
- Bourbon Bacon Jam
- Parsley Lemon Jelly
- Rosemary Jelly
- Sweet & Spicy Chorizo Jam
- Roasted Garlic Onion Jam
- Very Best Bacon Jam
- Strawberry Thyme Jam
- Blackberry Apple Jam
- Old Fashioned Corn on the Cob Jelly
- Pine Needle Jelly
- Lavender Jelly
Did you make this jam? If you did, please take a second to give the recipe a STAR rating and leave a comment. Did you make any changes?
Bourbon Apple Jam
Equipment
- 3 half pint canning jars, lids and rings
- 1 Water Bath Canner optional
- 1 Ladle
- 1 deep stockpot
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 C water
- 1/3 C bourbon whiskey
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp butter optional, reduces foaming
Instructions
- Add your apples, cinnamon, water, bourbon and lemon juice to a large, deep stockpot.
- Bring the pot to a boil; reduce the heat immediately and allow the apples to simmer and soften, 7-8 minutes.
- Once softened, use your immersion blender to blend the apples just until you have some blended, and some chunks.
- Return the heat to a strong boil - until the temperature of the jam reaches 220 degrees F (the temp for setting jam). You may want to add 1 tsp butter to reduce any foaming.
- Ladle quickly into canning jars, allow 1/4" headspace. Place the lid and ring atop the jar and allow to cool on the counter top. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator or a cool pantry and use over the next few weeks.
- If you are canning for long term storage of up to 1 year, you'll want to process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (once the water starts boiling). Allow them to rest on a towel on the counter top and listen for the "ping" of the lid over the next 24 hours. If you push down the center of the lid, it should not move. If the jars don't seal, re-process, or opt to refrigerate until ready to use.
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