Apples are the most important type of fruit in Germany. Every German eats more than 17 kilograms of apples a year. 60 percent of this comes from local harvest.
Sweet apple varieties are more suitable for making jam. You can also use the sour ones, but you will need more sugar, which is not always desired.
- Apples can be used alone to make jam, but you can also mix in other fruits, as well as other ingredients such as caramel, vanilla, raisins, cinnamon, honey, rum or liqueurs. A dash of alcohol improves the taste and also prevents mold formation.
- If you're open to new things, you can try out unusual mixtures like apple and onion jam. There are similar chutneys, but there are differences.
- Baked apple jam is also delicious.
- It is also a good option to mix in whole apple pieces, of course only after the rest has already been pureed.
There are countless variations of apple jam, so making it never gets boring. In addition, the different types of apples ensure different tastes.
When specifying the quantities, you should always make sure that the apples are only weighed when the peel and core have been removed, otherwise the quantities will not match and you will be using too much preserving sugar. With a larger quantity of apples, a lot of peels and casings are produced.
Cooking apple jam
In principle it is very simple. The apples are peeled and the core is cut out. Then cut the apples into pieces and put them in a suitable pot. Add water to cover the pieces and the juice of a lemon. If the apples are very sour, it is better to add a little sugar. You can also use honey, it is delicious and he althy. Everything needs to cook until the apples are soft. It is important that not all of the water boils away, otherwise everything will burn. If necessary, some more liquid needs to be added. Then you add additives such as cinnamon, raisins or similar and then of course the preserving sugar. This must be weighed exactly depending on the type (1:1, 1:2 or 1:3). The entire mixture must now continue to boil for a few more minutes. As a precaution, you should then carry out a gelling test, i.e. place one or two spoonfuls of the fruit mixture on a cool plate and test whether the mixture sets quickly. Then the jam is ready and can be filled into the jars. If not, you have to cook a little more and stir vigorously.
Apple jelly
Another variant is apple jelly, also very tasty and actually better known than apple jam. You can even leave the peel on the apples, provided they are not sprayed. You know this with your own apples from the garden, but with purchased apples you should choose organic quality. In any case, you have to wash the apples and then cut them into small pieces. The core housing also has to come out. Everything is cooked together again with water and lemon juice and possibly sugar. It is ideal to leave the finished mixture overnight. The mass is then filtered through a cloth or very fine sieve. The liquid is mixed with the weighed preserving sugar. Everything needs to cook together for a few more minutes before you can do the gelling test. That's all it was. Now the glasses can be filled.
