BS: Apples and Jam

Subject: BS: Apples and Jam
From: GUEST,Dazbo at work
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 11:31 AM

I have rather an abundance of apples (cookers) this year and want to know if there are any good recipes for apple jam (I don't think I've ever seen such a thing) or, failing that, jam that is mainly made up of apples.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 11:39 AM

I think it breaks down so badly that it is usually made into apple butter, or apple jelly; but I would think you could make a jamlike item by following a recipe for apple pie filling, which I believe has cornstarch as the thickener for lightly-cooked apple slices.

We always just made applesauce with the extra apples, peel and all, cut up chunky; you can freeze that.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 11:56 AM

Apple Jelly is good, apple wine is better!

The set of any fruit jam is improved by the addition of a couple of apples, so don't restrict them to just apple jelly.

Apple curd:
2lbs apples
1lb sugar
2 eggs
8oz butter
1 level tspn ground cinnamon
1 level tspn ground cloves

Peel and core the apples, cook in a little water until pulpy. Add other ingredients and cook over moderate heat until thick. Don't let it boil. Pot in clean, hot jars or pour into small plastic pots. Cover and store in cupboard for a month, fridge for 3 months, freezer for up to 9 months. You can make apple and lemon curd by substituting the spices with the juice and finely grated rind of 2 medium lemons.

Apple butter:
4lbs cooking apples (windfalls are good)
1 3/4 pints cider
1 level tspn ground cinnamon
1 level tspn ground allspice
l level tspn ground cloves
Granulated sugar.

Weigh the pan you'll be cooking in. Wash and cut out any bruised parts of the apples. Chop and place in the pan with the cider. Cook, stirring occasionally until pulpy. Sieve the mixture and return puree to pan, adding the spices. Weigh the pan and contents. Subtract the weight of the empty pan from total and add 12oz sugar to each 1lb of puree. Cook until thick enough for a wooden spoon to make an impression on the surface. Store in small jars covered with airtight seals. It doesn't keep all that well, but store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 6 months.

Apple jelly:

Cook some apples with enough water to cover. Strain them and reboil after 30 mins. Strain again. Add 1lb sugar to each 1 pint of juice and boil to set.

To make apple mint jelly, add some sprigs of mint to the first cooking and after sugar is added, hold (carefully) a sprig of bruised mint in it. Just before bottling, add some finely chopped mint. Pot in small jars as normal.

Good luck with them!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Wesley S
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 11:58 AM

Whats the difference between apple butter and apple jam anyway?

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Cats
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 11:59 AM

LTS ~ If this is anything like your ginger rum..... I can't wait!

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Bee
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:02 PM

Jam usually has bits of or whole small fruit/berries suspended in gelled syrup, butter is a smooth puree.

Great recipes, Liz. I love apple jelly, myself, but applesauce is a close second.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:04 PM

Jam and butter also have totally different spices added.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: PoppaGator
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:05 PM

Apple butter is dark brown, apple jelly is yellow/amber.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:06 PM

It's come out a bit funny... that's one and three quarter pints of cider - not 3/4 cider or 13 quarter pints! It doesn't stipulate what brand of cider but I'd go for the less fizzy of those available, and one without sweeteners if possible. It's quite an old book, sweeteners weren't available when it was written!

You could always dry apple rings for future consumption/sauce making. Choose the ripe, unblemished fruits and cut into rings. Place in a bowl of salt water (2oz salt to 1 gallon of water) to prevent browning. Dry them off on kitchen paper or a cloth and spread on a mesh tray (the cooling rack is good), or thread onto bamboo poles over a deep roasting dish. Make sure they don't touch each other. Dry them in an oven on it's lowest temperature, with the door open a little to get a good draught of air. The book says no higher than 70degrees C (150deg F or gas mark 1/4) but it need not be continuous - which is just as well because they need to be there for about 6 hours! Test by squeezing - if there is no moisture, they're ready. Leave for a day, then pack in layers between greaseproof or waxed paper in a ventilated box. Store in a cool, dry place.

To use dried fruit, cover with water, leave to soak then slowly bring to the boil in the water used to soak. Simmer until tender, adding a little sugar if necessary.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:15 PM

Jam = fruit, juice, sugar, all in together to make lumpy, cloudy jam.
Jelly = fruit, juice, sugar, strained to get the lumps out for a clear conserve.
curd = fruit, spices, sugar, eggs, butter, makes a thick fruit paste and doesn't keep well due to the eggs and butter.
butter = fruit, spices, sugar, also makes a thick fruit paste that keeps a little better than the curd.

Jam rarely if ever has spices added.


I'd experiment with the spices as the cloves can be a bit overpowering. Try a little ground nutmeg in the curd, instead of cloves.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: sian, west wales
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 12:24 PM

Lotvarrick (Apple Butter)

2 quarts apple cider
2 quarts apples
2 cups sugar
2 cups corn syrup or cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil cider til it reduces to 1 quart. Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices. Add to the cider and cook slowly until it begins to thicken, stirring most of the time. Add sugar, syrup/pumpkin and cinnamon and keep cooking until a little, cooled on a plate, is a good spreading consistency. You can then put it up in jars like jam.

This recipe is from Food that Really Schmecks, one of my favourites. It then includes recipes for Lotvarrick Pie and for Eppel Dunkes Kucha (Apple Dunking Cake)which are firmly in the 'comfort food' category.

sian

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 01:53 PM

lol Sian/West Wales, are you really from Wales? That food and spelling sounds awfully Amish to me. And Amish, at this time, are mostly North American.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: sian, west wales
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 02:31 PM

In Wales, of Wales, but born and raised in Niagara Penninsula - and went to University of Waterloo where I stayed first year in a Mennonite residence. Head chef was a German pastry cook and his pies were to die for! Still love to go back up to Elora, Elmira, St Jacobs and surrounds to the farmers markets when I get a chance.

sian

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Bee
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 02:34 PM

Oh, and Apple Upside Down Biscuit! Just make your favourite biscuit recipe, tossing in a quarter cup sugar. Put sliced apples at least two inches deep in a nine inch casserole or pan, sprinkle with sugar (cinnamon if you like - I don't), spread biscuit dough to cover, sprinkle brown sugar on top of biscuit, bake at 400F for about forty minutes (check after half hour). Simple and yummy, serve hot or cold.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 06:56 PM

When you want something really gooshy sweet from the Amish, try walnut or pecan pie. Much better than shoo fly, imo.

(Where did the name 'shoo fly' come from? Sounds like a bastardization of French.)

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: GUEST,Dazbo at work
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 08:30 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately my freezer is packed with apple already so anything that needs freezing is out I'm afraid. Still there's some good alternatives that I'm going to try.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Schantieman
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 01:09 PM

Ah - just too late, I see.

I was going to suggest making industrial quantities of stewed apple (with brown sugar, raisins/sultanas, cinnamon & cloves to taste) and freezing it in single-pie quantities. That and a packety of frozen shortcust pastry makes an almost instant and extremely yummy pud.

Of course many of you will have more success with home-made pastry than I. Bread I can do; pastry's dodgy.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: Irene M
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 02:44 PM

Maple applesauce freezes well and is delish.
As is Cranberry applesauce.

Subject: RE: BS: Apples and Jam
From: HouseCat
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 03:01 PM

Shoo-fly pie is called so because it was so sweet that you had to shoo the flies away as it sat on the windowsill to cool. Ick.
Apple butter reminds me of my dear sweet Daddy who has passed on. I used to make it for him in the fall.
HC