Brandied Apple Jam
Brandied Apple Jam combines the flavors of warm, inviting apples with apple brandy, cinnamon, and clove for a jam that's perfect to gift at the holidays!
Servings 6 half pints
Equipment
- Water Bath Canner
- half pint canning jars, lids and rings
Ingredients
- 4 lbs apples (Fuji, Gala, etc.) peeled and diced
- 4.5 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pkg low-sugar pectin*
- 3/4 C apple brandy
Instructions
- Fill the water bath canner with water on a separate stove burner to prepare the jam for the water bath.
- Wash the canning jars. Place the canning jars, lids and bands in the oven at 200 degrees F to sterilize while you are making the jam (it helps to have them all in an 13x9 dish to keep them all together).
- Add diced apples, ground cinnamon, and apple brandy to a large, deep-bottom pot.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a strong simmer. Simmer the apples until they are soft, 15-20 minutes. Use a masher to mash some of the apples - it's great to keep some of them unmashed for some texture to the jam. If you taste the jam now, it should have a strong apple flavor.
- Add the pectin and sugar and bring the apples to a boil, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F. Once the mixture reaches 220 degrees F, continue to boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims thoroughly and then apply lids and bands (finger tight).
- Placed filled jars in a hot water bath, ensuring that they are covered by 2 inches of water. Place lid on water bath canner, and bring water to a steady boil.
- Process the jars for 10 minutes (half pint), adjusting for altitude. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Boil one additional minute for every 1,000 feet elevation.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid and allow the jars to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the jars entirely and allow to cool. Jam may take up to 24 hours to develop a full set.
- Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed. Store jars in a cool place for up to 1 year.
Notes
*About the pectin: Apples are naturally rich in natural pectin - most of that pectin is in the peel and the core. Do you have to use pectin? If you are not canning this long term, you are welcome to forego the pectin and instead use 2 Tbsp lemon juice to encourage your jam to set. With that said, depending on your pectin content found naturally in the apples, your jam may not set as strongly as it would if you choose to use low-sugar pectin. For me, I prefer the "insurance" of using low-sugar pectin instead of potentially having to re-process jars to capture a better set.