Persimmon Apple jam

Persimmon Apple Jam is delightful. The life brought to this jam with the combination of Persimmons and Apples Is Jammin'.

 I was going to go with a straight Persimmon Jam (ha ha) but there was just a slight tart that I personally did not like so in came the apples. I used three different types of apples which just danced with the persimmons.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped persimmons

3 cups chopped apples - variety

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

2 cups of brown sugar

2 cups of white sugar 

* This will give you approximately 7 half pint jars - 8 ounce jars 

Have all you equipment ready. Water-bath, jars, sugar this makes the process so much more pleasant.

Start with clean scrubbed persimmons. Peel and chop the persimmons.

Do not use the core or seeds that is where the bitter taste comes from. If you are not sure or have not experienced persimmons eat one you will understand.










Next you need to get your apples chopped.

I use three granny smith and a variety of apples are from my brothers apple trees. This came to approximately 3 to 4 cups.

Have a bowl of cold water ready with the juice of one lemon squeezed in it.

This will keep the apple from browning.



 They look pretty in the jam white not brown.








You can hand peel as I did or use a peeling tools. It seems sometimes it is more work to use a tool than just rely on my own hands.Vary the size of the apple chunks it makes a more interesting jam and people love to taste and feel the fruit in the jam.


 




Put your persimmon, apples and lemon in to your stainless steel pot. You will need to keep this mixture on low and stir for about 45 minutes give or take.





You want the apples to soften up. You do not want them to loose there form it is not a butter so pieces of fruit in your jam is the best.

This is after about 45 minutes on low. Once it softened up I used my immersion blender to break up the jam a bit. It is now time to jar up and water-bath your jam.

The texture here is just perfect if I do say so! Now it is time to take your jar's out of the water-bath and fill. Fill the jars to approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Fill wipe the rim clean and cap. Water-bath for 12 minutes.







Once done remove from the bath let them cool overnight. Once cooled remove the ring (do not store with the ring on) wipe clean and store labeled for up to one year.

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.     

Italian Dried Plum Jam with Granny Smith Apples

Prune Jam the thought does conjure up a few things like "euuu" prunes. But this is not your Grama's prune ! These are sweet and delicious Italian Dried Plums.

Using brown sugar instead of the standard white makes it glorious ! 

This jam is thick and delicious.






Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of dried plums/prunes
* Soak your prunes for up to 4 hour 
4 chopped granny smith apples
4 cups of brown sugar
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice


Get all your equipment ready as I have said in the past it makes any job in your kitchen easier and fun when all is ready for you. Well let's get started ..





You can put your softened plums/prunes into a large stainless steel pot and add the brown sugar and lemon juice let this simmer while you cut up the apples.

Peel and chop your apples. I did this by hand as there was no reason to take the peeling tool out with only four apples being used. I kept a bowl of fresh lemon juice to dip the apple once I had the peel off. The reason why is it will prevent it from browning. Oh I know what you are saying won't it turn brown with the plum's anywho? Yup but some habit's are just hard to stop.




I will keep a small amount of my chopped apples aside to add during the last few minutes of making this batch. Oh why you ask again? Well I use the immersion blender to break up the apples and prunes but I do still want some small pieces of apple in the jam.

Ok now add the chopped apples to the mixture in the pot. mix this and bring it up to a boil. Using your immersion blender or what ever you use to thin out the jam do it. Once it is the consistency you like add the remaining apples.

Bring it backup to a boil and check the consistency and taste. Is it what you like?
Keep in mind that all jam's get better while they sit. So if you think it is not sweet enough or something give it time.





Fill your jar until they have 1/4 inch of head space and wipe the rim clean. Seal and twist lid. Process for 10 minutes into your  water bath.

When done lift out of the water bath and let cool overnight or at least eight hours. Label and store no twist tie left on. 












Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.     

Old Fashion Applesauce

This Applesauce reicpe is simple and old school.

Applesauce from the tree. Jean, again a BIG Thank you! I have a very generous and sweet as the apples neighbor named Jean. This woman allows me to come to her house and pick her fruit tree's . There are two great things wait three great things about this. One I get fresh fruit. Two I get to preserve fresh off the tree fruit. Most important I have another fruit friend.


Have all your water bath canning stuff done and ready to go prior to starting any canning project!

There are a few different sites that give you delicious recipes for applesauce. I have combined many but most important my Grandma Lois recipe for apple butter. I do a large batch of apples and half gets to be apple sauce and half apple butter!  I will make this post about the apple sauce but be aware some of the the picture are tricky it does show both.

The link to the Apple Butter gives you that recipe.

 Ingredients - approximately 8 pints

12 pounds of apples
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar - optional
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar - optional
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
Cinnamon/ Nutmeg optional spices  - optional

My apple sauce consistency

Clean and core your apples. You can leave the skins they are full of good antioxidants. Chop the apples and put them into a large stainless steel pot. 

There are  a few variables when doing apple sauce. You can peel and core the apples but you know how I feel about peeling. I don't.




So cut and core the apples and put them into the pot.
 
Cook the apples adding just enough water so they don't stick to your pot.Within about the first hour the peels just come loose and you can pick them out if they bother you. The texture of your apples sauce is a personal thing. I like my applesauce to have texture like my jams. The picture just a above this is what my applesauce looks like in the end.




Once your apples have been cooking (with or with out peels) on a very gentle boil for 45 minutes they should be nice and tender. This will depend on your apples. remove them from the heat and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer the amount of apple you want to thin out and working in small batches put them through your food mill or you can use a food processor. 

 

 

 

This is the consistency of the apples run thu the mill

I will take about 1/4 of the apples that I have cooked down and run them through the food mill. If you do not have a food mill just use a potato masher until you get the right consistency. And buy a food mill you will use it for so many thing should you choose to continue this canning and preserving adventure.






Return all the apples back to the pot. Now is the time to add the other ingredients you want for your apple sauce. I have given you ingredients I have added to my applesauce. The trick is to add about half of what you want let it simmer for 10 minutes taste it and then add more you may want to add nothing ! What ever you do bring it back to a low simmer stirring it frequently to prevent it from sticking.The minute I start my batch I add three whole cinnamon stick and fish them out when I am done. Alright moving on have your jars ready to fill. Ladle your applesauce into your warm jars and leave 1/2 inch head space. Remove the air bubbles. Wipe the warm of the jar clean. Add you warmed lid twist the band until it is tight.

Process your jars in your boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Remove your jars and cool. Once cooled check seal wash clean. Remove the twist lid and store in a cool pantry.

Here is the link to the Ball Site I used to check my steps. It is always good to check a few different sites prior to starting any canning project. Enjoy !

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.  

Red Hots Cinnamon Apples

Picking my own apples or a bag of right off the tree such a pleasure.

My mama lives in Hemet and up in the hills above Beaumont is Oak Glen and I pick up a bag of apples and she watches.

When I first started canning I made this recipe. It came from a lady who I knew from my quilting group. It got me through the learning stages of canning. The first thing was I did not tighten my lids and when I came back to see how it went well two jars opened I had Cinnamon Apples Soup.

I was sad but now I think about it and laugh. But I made another batch because I never do my canning little I go big or go home. Hey want a minute I am home. So here is the recipe and a few before you start tip's !

• I do not cook the apples in the syrup because they get cooked enough in the water bath and I like my stuff not mushy ~un mushy ~mushyless. The picture shows them in a pot because the first time I did cook all the ingredients together.
• If you do not want to use cinnamon sticks then don't I love cinnamon
• The candy I love it so I increased my batch to two boxes but you can use one
• Use wide mouth jars the apples fit better 
• Why are there no pictures of the jars?  My battery went dead right after my first batch and 2 jars exploded opened. Oh hush now it only happened once.

Cinnamon Candy Apples Rings

10 pounds firm tart apples
2 cups sugar
10 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1 to 2 boxes of Red Cinnamon candies
1/2 cup of lemon juice used to keep apples from browning


Wash apples.



Peel and slice you can use a apple peeler I find it easier see mine.







As you peel them put them in the bowl of lemon water to keep the apples from discoloring




In a large pot, combine sugar, water, vinegar, cinnamon candies. Let the candy dissolve and the syrup gently simmer.




**This is the time you decide do I cook my apples in this or put them in the jars direct if you decide to cook your apples do it for about 5 minutes or the apples will turn to apple sauce good on yogurt.


Apples should be room temperature

Two choices you can :

Fill your warm jars with your apple slices and add the hot liquid to your jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles.
 or
Add the apples to the pot of liquid bring back to a simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and  fill the jars with the apples and liquid to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Remove air bubble


Wipe your jars , adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner for 12 minutes
Makes about 6-8 pints.

This is so good warmed up on top of a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream.

Grandma's Apple Butter

Ok when I started to can I only wanted to do it for the Apple Butter Jam. The memories I have of my Grandma Lois and her canning extravaganza's are glorious memories.


Yet in the last few years I never made it. Well today that is over. I woke up saw my husbands big giant apples in the frig and said this is the day. I called my dad to get his Mom's recipe I can still taste it.




I also got some tips from friends checked the Internet out and there are as many recipes as there are apples. So I stuck with Grama Lois original and got to jammin'. All I wanted was to taste my Grama Lois's Apple Butter . Time will tell.

You know I tweak so many recipes. Not this one

Grama Lois Apple Butter 

4 lbs. of apples I did use Granny Smith and a variety of some I picked locally
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
3 cups of brown sugar and 1 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of molasses
Grate half of a nutmeg nut...sounds funny but fresh is good it comes to about ne teaspoon of nutmeg. If you use dry use 1/2 teaspoon
1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
6 whole all spice balls
Grated rind 1 small lemon and the juice of one whole lemon
Ok I use the whole apple skin-seeds-all of it.

Why you ask because the pectin is in the skins, seeds and stuff and it will dissipate. And Think Food Mill my friends!
Also I love nutmeg it gives everything that holiday smell and taste it is a personal choice for you to add or not. And also add four whole cinnamon sticks when the process is smashed and the simmer begins. 

Cut the apples into quarters put them in a pot add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of water.

Let this cook on low for well I did mine so far for 2 hours stirring it every 20 minutes or so to keep it circulating and to shift the apples location in the pot.

After the first hour I added 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon and all spice I also added grated fresh nutmeg about 1 teaspoon. Yes those are whole cinnamon sticks.

I added the spices while it is cooking to infuse the flavor in the first stage. The cloves are whole and in a spice bag to remove when I run it threw the mill. 

Alright you have cooked the apples, run them thru a food mill. Once it has been run thru the mill return the ingredients to the pot.  Now we are going to add the remaining ingredients.

• Alright add 3 cups of brown sugar
• 1 cup of granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup of molasses

I will know run it thru the food mill one more time to make it smooth as can be.





 For the last few hours of cooking I put it into a crock pot on low

 for at least 4 to 5 hours. Stir it ever hour or so and taste to

 make sure there is nothing you may want to add.












I will usually get my jars ready in the water bath and do work on the computer when I'm doing this project. Once it has the consistency and taste you are ready to get them ready for their bath.

I left some of the Apple Butter in a small pot to show you the difference prior to adding the additional ingredients. See how much deeper the color is with the additional ingredients.

 Time to jar up for Bath Time!

 Have your warm jars ready and fill them until they are about 

 1/2" from the rim of the jar. Wipe the rims clean and cap taunt.

 Water bath them for 12 minutes. Once done remove from the

 bath and let them cool over night or for at least 8 hours.

Once cooled remove the twist portion of the top. Make sure they have sealed wash the jars. Label with content and date and store up opened for up to one year. Once opened refrigerate ! Yummm



Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.