Yesterday was the first day of school for my kids. Shane went on to 7th, Blake 5th and Abby in the 3rd. When I really stop to think about how fast time is going, it depresses me a little. To think that this past year flew by, and it seems like the kids just got out of school and now, they are a year older and starting back to school.To me, when school starts back I think fall, even though it is still near 90 degrees here. Buying schools supplies, high school football, then labor day. The leaves start changing and the darkness of night comes earlier. So one of the first things that I think of when I think of fall is apples. I love going apple picking, making apple butter or whatever...but that is what I think of.
A coworker brought me these little green apples from her apple tree in her yard. Luckily, there were no worms! I had a ton of things that I wanted to make with them, so I halved them and made half apple butter and the other half jam.
The recipe that I used called it Caramel Apple Jam, but really I think that I will call it Apple Pie Jam. I really don't taste any caramel, but it does taste like a great fried apple pie filling. The hardest part of this was peeling and slicing those tiny little apples, but it was well worth it!
Apple Pie Jam
6 cups peeled and diced apples
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Mix all of the ingredients into a large pot. Stir them until all combined. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Cook the jam until it reached 220 degrees. (see my note at the bottom) Pour into jars and top with lid. Flip the jars on their lids to cool. The jars should be sealed when completely cooled.
Some of my jams have been really thick when I cook to this degree, so with this jam I cooked for 20 minutes then I used the frozen plate method. You freeze a plate, then put a little bit on the plate, stick it back in the freezer for a few seconds then check the consistency of it. If it is not as thick as you want continue to cook the jam in 5 minute increments until you get it the consistency you want. I cooked this jam for 20-25 minutes.
5 comments:
Our kids start school on the 26th of Aug. Your right, the year has flown by! Apples are the first thing think of too when Sept rolls around! Your jam sounds wonderful!
Yikes - back to school already? Sabrina goes back on Aug 22, then Alexander starts on the 25.The summer went by so fast!
I wish I had a neighbor that would bring me apples! They look wonderful! I love fried apple pies. I just saw a recipe for them in F&W magazine. Of course, anything fried is good, right?
The kids here go back on the 18th, and I was thinking that was sooo early!!
This jam sounds great. I can't wait for the local apples so I can make some.
Okay, I just knew I shouldn't visited you tonight. Caramel apples are my fav. This looks too good to be true whether they taste like caramel or not.
My Abby goes to grade 1 at the beginning of Sept. I don't want to quit camping, but that seems like it may be the end then. :(
LOVE this apple pie jam, never heard of it before. Something I'd like to give a try! :)
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