In winter, accompanying a piece of bread with a good homemade apple jam is a real treat. It is sweet, but not too much, slightly tart and, to finish, there is a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Making your own apple jam is very easy and quick. However, for the result to be perfect, you have to choose the right ingredients and follow certain steps during the preparation. Discover below all the secrets to prepare your homemade apple jam!
The right ingredients for a successful recipe
To make a homemade apple jam success, it is essential to choose the best ingredients. The advantage of this recipe is that it seeks to preserve few ingredients. However, they must be chosen carefully so as not to spoil the final taste and texture.
- Apples: choose firm-fleshed apples for your homemade apple jam. Indeed, those with loose flesh may deteriorate at high heat during cooking. In France, the varieties “Boskoop”, “Reine des Reinettes”, “Franceline” and “Martin Sec” are perfect for obtaining a perfect result.
- Sugar: it is very important not to overdo the sugar in this recipe. In addition, the quantity will be adjusted according to the variety of apple you have chosen. It is generally advised to use white sugar, but if the final taste does not suit you, you can also change the sugar to vanilla sugar or brown sugar.
- Spices: to give an extra touch of flavor to your apple jam, you can add spices. Be careful not to overdo it though. Simple touches of cinnamon or vanilla are more than enough. You can also add pieces of ginger or lemon.
Make the recipe step by step
Once you have gathered all the necessary ingredients, you can make homemade apple jam with the following steps:
- Clean and peel your apples: First, wash the apples carefully, remove the stems and remove the skins with a peeler or a peeler.
- Cut the apples into pieces: Once washed and peeled, cut the apples into fairly thin pieces. The pieces must have a thickness of approximately 2/3 cm.
- Steam the apples: Once the apple pieces are ready, put them in the steamer and cook them for about 20 minutes. You can test for doneness with the tip of a knife. If the blade goes in without difficulty, the apples are cooked.
- Mix the ingredients: In a pot, put the cooked apples, sugar and spices of your choice. Mix everything with a spatula and cook over low heat, stirring regularly. The preparation will simmer until it reaches the consistency of a thick and homogeneous paste.
- Pot and sterilize in a water bath: Once the homemade apple jam is ready, put it carefully in good sterilized containers. Then place the jars inside a large bowl filled with lukewarm water to sterilize properly. Finally, let it cool. Once the jam has cooled, you can serve your delicious homemade jam!
What are the different uses for your jam?
Your homemade apple jam is ideal to accompany a piece of bread or a sandwich, but not only! Indeed, this sweet and tasty ingredient has multiple applications. This is how you can use it to glaze cupcakes, cakes, pies but also to make spreadable jams and even petits fours.
Even the most far-sighted can fall short when it comes to homemade apple jam. Therefore, it is possible to freeze it. The easiest method is to fill silicone molds with the jam and place it in the freezer. This way, you can thaw cubes of jam as you need them!
Different recipes to vary the pleasures
To vary your flavors of homemade apple jam, you can always create alternative recipes. So you can add chocolate chips to your recipe. To do this, all you have to do is add the pieces as you mix the different ingredients. You can also make a citrus apple jam, with notes of orange or lemon, which will give a tangy taste to your preparation, and for a more original result, you can replace the apples with pears or plums.
Comparison of Utensils Used to Make Your Jam
To succeed your homemade apple jam, you will need a number of utensils and tools. Below are 3 flagship models on the market.
| Model | Price | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Sicoly® steam cooker | 59.90€ | ★★★★★ |
| Mariette® Steamer | 47.99€ | ★★★★ |
| IPasy® Steamer | 41.99€ | ★★★ |
You will have understood it, to obtain a good homemade apple jam, you have to choose your ingredients carefully, and know the equipment you have to achieve it. The steps are simple and if you respect the proportions and the cooking time, you will obtain a result worthy of your expectations. And, if you are not used to cooking too much, do not hesitate to get help from a loved one, because cooking is much more pleasant with several people!
With good products and following the steps of this recipe correctly, your house will smell good and only a few times later you can enjoy this delicious homemade jam and share it with those around you.