You can use any apples. Try Cortlands, Pink Ladies, Pippins, or Jonagolds. These will all cook down well. Using more than one type of apple will also give more depth of flavor to your jam.
The spices will add an apple pie flavor to your jam. If you want to taste just apple, leave the spices out.
A rolling boil will constantly bubble even if you stir it.
Leaving foam on your jam will make your jam cloudy and can make it rubbery.
12 cups of chopped peeled, cored, and diced apples 2 cups of lemons juice 2 cups of honey 3 cups of granulated sugar 1 envelope of liquid pectin Lemon zest from 3 lemons
If you’re using a candy thermometer to check if the jam is set, the temperature should reach between 215 and 220 degrees F.
8 cups of apples 6 cups of granulated sugar 1 cup of water The juice and zest of 2 lemons
You should never just cut back on the sugar in a jam recipe. Sugar is important for preserving the jam, so if you just reduce the sugar, your jam may not hold up as well over time. Instead, choose an apple butter recipe, which naturally uses less sugar.
Your jars must be hot when you fill them with the hot jam. If the jars are cold, the hot jam may cause the jars to shatter.
Avoid leaving too much headspace. If you leave more than half-an-inch of headspace, there will be too much oxygen at the top of the jar and processing won’t be able to sterilize the space so your jam will spoil faster.
Resist the urge to twist the bands on tightly. Fingertip tight will let air escape from the jar while it’s processing.
To check the seals, press down on the lid. You shouldn’t feel any give and the lid shouldn’t spring back when you remove your finger. It should remain flat if it was processed correctly.
