Apple Jam Recipe

Fall season! When you can buy plenty of fruits and vegetables at a cheap price!

About two weeks ago, I bought some 40 pieces of apples from a fruit vendor truck just in front of our apartment building. A basin cost only 3,000won so I decided to buy 2 basins. The apples weren't bad; in fact, they were all juicy and sweet, but they were quite small. So what did I do with these apples? Aside from munching on them, I decided to make some jam as well!

Here's the recipe to the jam. I'm not sure whether pectin is available here in Korea, but I've been searching at Homeplus and E-mart and I haven't had any luck finding them. No luck finding them on online shopping malls, too. So searching online, I found a recipe that teaches how to make your own pectin using apple peels.  

INGREDIENTS:

2 kilos of peeled, seeded, and cored apples, chopped (do not throw away the peels and cores!)
2-3 cups of sugar, adjust measurements depending on your preference
2-4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon or lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

 1. Add water enough to cover the apple peels and cores. Let it boil, then simmer for an hour or 2 until the peels are about to fall off. Using a cheesecloth, strain the juice out of the boiled apple peels. Do not squeeze the juices out. Just leave them overnight.

2. Combine the chopped apples and sugar in a large pot. Cover the apple-sugar mixture and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or until it has released quite a bit of juice.

3. Prepare your jars and lids for water bath canning. I don't have my own canning equipment so I make do with whatever I have at home using this method I found online. At this stage, you would also put a small plate in the freezer for testing your jam's consistency later.

4. Bring the apple-sugar mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Stir frequently.

5. When the chopped apples have softened (Note: meaning you can crush them with a spoon), add in your lemon juice. I like my jam to be a little chunkier so I don't crush all of them. Besides, it's going to be very tiring and will take me a long time using only a spoon to crush them. ^^

6. Taste your jam. Include a bit of syrup and some fruit. If you think it needs more sugar, you can add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup more of sugar. When adding more sugar, remember that it all depends on how you want your preserve to taste.

7. Use the juice from the homemade pectin and incorporate them into your jam. Let it simmer for 30 minutes to another hour.

8. This is the time to test your jam's consistency. Put a small amount of jam on a cold plate and leave it for a minute or two. If the jam runs only very slowly, it is done. If it is still a bit runny, simmer it for a few more minutes.

9. Continue to simmer your jam over very low heat as you fill and lid your jars. Once all the jars have been covered, put them in your canner/pot for the water bath. Boil the jars for 5-10 minutes.

These jams will keep for up to 6 months unopened. When opened, consume within 3 months.