SPICED APPLES

SPICED APPLE PRESERVES

Autumn is apple picking time. Whilst in Tasmania recently (before the borders closed) it was, and still is, apple season. There are trees everywhere, laden with apples. The farm house I stayed in had an apple tree out the back and trees along the roadside were full of ripe, juicy apples too. Here are just some of the apples I picked.

Spiced Apple Preserves

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 kg apples

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 teaspoon citric acid


  • Line a sieve or colander with a tea towel and place it over a large bowl.

  • Grate apples into the lined sieve. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and toss gently to combine.

  • Gather up the sides of the towel and squeeze some of the juice out from the apples. You should get approximately 1 1/2 – 2 cups.

  • Put the saved apple juice into a medium saucepan and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, along with the spices. Stir over a low heat.

  • Once sugar has dissolved, add the apples. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the apple shreds have broken down a little and reabsorbed the spiced juice.


Divide the citric acid between four jars (or however many jars you need to use) (it helps prevent the apples from browning during storage) and pack the hot apple shreds into the jars, leaving about 1 1/2 to 2 cm space at the top of the jar.

*most jars have "shoulders" (just underneath where you screw the lid on) so you can just fill your jars to the shoulders.

  • Wipe the rims, put the lids on and process in a boiling water bath.

Water bath process

  • Place a folded tea towel in the bottom of a pot.

  • Place the jars of apples on top of the team towel.

  • Fill the pot with water so that the jars are covered with water.

  • Put on the stove and bring the pot to the boil

  • When the water has boiled for about 20 minutes, remove pot from heat and let jars stand in the water for an additional 20 minutes.

  • Remove jars from pot and let them cool on a folded kitchen towel. When jars are fully cool, place jars in a cool, dark place and use within one year.

I like to use this for pie fillings, apple crumble, on top of ice cream or heated up and eaten with cream. Yummy!