Apple Pear Jam

This apple pear jam spiced with cinnamon makes a delicious and inexpensive Christmas gift that you can make ahead of time.

If there is one thing I simply cannot stand, it’s shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts. Pushing through crowds and standing in line for hours, I’m getting nervous just thinking about it! So over the years I have trained myself to not procrastinate when it comes to Christmas gifts and shop or make them very early on. This change certainly didn’t happen in one year and it took some planning and getting used to, but I am glad I did it. I have found that this keeps my holidays stress free and gives me more time to actually enjoy the season. That’s why I’m starting early this year and already made this delicious apple pear jam which I want to share with you today.

Whether you are looking for a way to save money on gifts, or just enjoy making something homemade for your family and friends, this jam is a great gift to give. It is sweet (but certainly not overpowering) and spiced with just the right amount of cinnamon. Don’t you just hate it when jam tastes like pure sugar and not at all like the fruit it supposedly contains? Not this jam here! This one is packed with tons of apples and pears, which is exactly what it tastes like.

Making the jam is actually very easy. If you have never made jam before because you think it might be complicated, fear not! First you need to cut and peel all the fruit, which is the most work. Then comes the scary part- working with pectin. Just kidding, it’s actually very simple. It does all the work by itself. You only need to ensure that the jam has boiled for about 5 minutes. I’m talking boiling, it really needs to bubble. This will cause the jam to turn from a liquid state to a gel like state. But how do you know when the jam has done that?

You can test the jam by placing a small amount of it on a plate and slightly tipping the plate and seeing if the jam quickly runs down the plate. If that is the case, you need to cook the jam a little bit longer. If the jam looks thick and only slides down slowly, it is ready.

And voila, you have just made your very own jam. Now all that’s left to do is package it nicely. I cut some fabric into squares and used elastic bands to secure them on the lids. Then I used some pretty string to tie a ribbon and hide the rubber band underneath. You can also add a tag and write the flavor and date on it. Now you have pretty and delicious homemade gifts you can give away to at least 8 people! Or  eat some yourself and only give away 5, your call. 🙂

Apple Pear Jam

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• Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: about 8–9 jars 1x

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Description

A sweet delicious homemade jam with notes of cinnamon

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1kg (2.2 lbs) chopped apples
• 1kg (2.2 lbs) chopped pears
• 700g (1.5 lbs) granulated sugar
• 2 sachets pectin* 3:1
• 1 teaspoon citric acid
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• water

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Instructions

1. Peel and cut the apples and pears into small pieces. After peeling and coring you should have 2kg of fruit.
2. Add a little bit of water to the bottom of a large pot and add all the ingredients. Cook until the fruit is soft, stirring occasionaly. Once the fruit is soft, purée everything until smooth.
3. Then bring it to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes. The mixture should bubble heavily.
4. Then take a small scoop and put it on a plate. Tilt the plate. If the jam runs down the plate quickly it still needs to cook a bit longer. If it is thick and slides down slowly, it is ready.
5. Pour boiling water into the prepared glasses and onto the lids to sterilize them. Remove the water and carefully pour the hot jam into the glasses using a funnel and seal tightly. Let them cool completely.

Notes

• *pectin- enough for 2kg fruit (it says on the package how much you need). 3:1 is the ratio for fruit and sugar (3 parts fruit to 1 part sugar)
• store the jam in a cool and dry place (eg. basement)

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