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Apple-Cranberry Jam

Source of Recipe

From "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"This is a recipe I first devised as a holiday gift. It produces a preserve that is festively crimson and works just as well with a slice of cold turkey as it does spread on toast. This recipe also has a larger yield than many others in this book. When you're canning for holiday giving, I've found that it's always handy to have a couple extra jars. No matter how well I plan, I always find that there's a neighbor or co-worker I've inadvertently left off the list."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (about 4 pounds)
â—¦ 4 cups fresh cranberries
â—¦ 6 cups granulated sugar
â—¦ Zest and juice of 2 lemons


Recipe

Prepare a boiling water bath and five regular-mouth 1-pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the apples, cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup water in a large pot (use a big one, as the jam will bubble). Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming of the foam that develops on the top of the fruit. Continue to boil for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cranberries pop and the apples soften.

Add the lemon zest and juice. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid in the pot has thickened, about 10 minutes. (Because both apples and cranberries are naturally high in pectin, you won't need any additional pectin to help this jam set, as long as you cook it until thick and syrupy.)

Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes five (1-pint) jars



• Note:
When choosing apples for jam or butter, it's good to pick a softer fleshed apple such as Golden Delicious, Cortland, or Winesap. I like to use a couple different varieties in each batch to increase the depth of flavor.