This simple and delicious homemade jam features fresh chopped apples cooked with sugar and lots of warm, cozy spices. Use this jam as a spread, topping, dip, or however your heart desires all fall and winter long!
I'm a sucker for fruit spreads and jams of all kinds, and my favorite way to have them is slathered on a warm buttermilk biscuit. Not many people realize how easy it is to make your own fruit jam at home but don't worry, this post has you covered! The great thing about homemade jams is they are preservative-free and you can control the amount of added sugar.
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What You Need to Make This Apple Jam
This is a smaller batch recipe and makes about one quart of jam. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe to make larger batches!
Three apples. For this recipe, I used two Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith apple. Peel, core, and chop the apples into large chunks.
1 cup of granulated sugar. Feel free to adjust this amount according to your sweetness preference. I find this amount of sugar yields a sweet but slightly tart flavor.
Juice of one lemon. Fresh lemon juice works best for this recipe. One medium-sized lemon is enough.
Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground cardamom. These are the spices we use to flavor the jam. These spices provide warm, spicy, nutty, and citrusy notes to the jam.
How To Make This Recipe
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped apples, sugar, lemon juice, and spices to the pot and stir everything with a wooden spoon to combine.
Bring the apple mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 15-25 minutes until the jam has thickened.
About halfway through the cooking time take your wooden spoon and mash some of the apples against the side of the pot and leave some apple chunks intact. Then give everything a good stir. This step is optional, but I prefer the texture of a slightly chunky apple jam.
The natural pectins in the apples and the sugar will cause the jam to go from a thin consistency to a thick, jammy consistency without the addition of extra pectin. Once the jam transitions to a slow boil with smaller bubbles stir constantly as the jam continues to cook to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the jam has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and allow the jam to cool slightly. Spoon the jam into clean jars and seal tighlty. Allow the jam to cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator.
Why Does This Jam Recipe Not Call for Added Pectin?
Many fruits, including apples, contain a good amount of pectin naturally. This helps the jam thicken without the use of added pectin.
However, if you would like added pectin to thicken your jam up a bit more, this brand is my suggestion.
Variations of This Recipe
The great thing about this jam recipe is that you can use it as a base for a number of different fruit jams. Many fruits naturally contain a good amount of pectin, which is what helps the jam thicken. You can also add additional pectin to your jam during the cooking process to help it thicken even more.
Try out these fruits in this jam recipe as well:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Peaches
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Sour cherries
Storing This Jam
Cool filled jars of jam to room temperature then refrigerate jam for up to three weeks.
You can also tightly seal cooled jam jars and freeze them for up to one year.
What to Serve With Apple Jam
My favorite way to serve homemade jam is slathered on a warm buttermilk biscuit but there are countless other options as well! A few serving suggestions are:
- Serve jam as a spread on sliced cheese with crackers
- Use jam as a stuffing for French toast
- Use jam to make a delicous mocktail or cocktail
- Make a sauce for your favorite meat using jam
- Use jam as a topping on grilled cheese sandwiches
- Mix homemade jam with yogurt to create your own fruit blended yogurt
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
Check Out These Other Irresistible Fall Recipes Before You Go!
📖 Recipe
Spiced Apple Jam
Equipment
- Canning jars
Ingredients
- 2 Honeycrisp apples rinsed, peeled, cored, and chopped into large chunks
- 1 Granny Smith apple rinsed, peeled, cored, a chopped into large chunks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped apples, sugar, lemon juice, and spices to the pot and stir everything with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Bring the apple mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 15-25 minutes until the jam has thickened.
- About halfway through the cooking time take your wooden spoon and mash some of the apples against the side of the pot and leave some apple chunks in tact, then give everythig a good stir. This step is optional, but will result in a slightly chunky jam.
- Once the jam has thickened, and the jam reaches a slow boil with small, tight bubbles, remove the pan from the heat and allow the jam to cool slightly. Spoon the jam into clean jars and seal tighlty. Allow the jam to cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can also use a potato masher to mash your apples halfway through the cooking time if you prefer a less chunky jam.
- Test your jam to see if it's done by placing a small amount of jam onto a metal spoon that has been placed in the freezer for 10 minutes. Swipe your finger through the jam on the frozen spoon. If there is a clear line through the jam that does not fill in, it is ready to be cooled and stored.
- This recipe may make slightly more or less jam depending on the size of your fruit.
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