I'm not much of an apple person. I don't eat them. Unless, of course, they are covered in a syrupy mixture and in a buttery, bready crust. Or in a jar, of course. These little angels are perfect Christmas gifts for friends, co-workers, or the mail man. Apparently you're supposed to get your mailman something. Can someone enlighten me?
Imagine handing this to a co-worker. Their mind starts wandering to their Saturday morning pancakes or waffles. You just took it up a notch. Or their celebratory Friday night ice cream after a long week of work; you can add this to otherwise boring vanilla ice cream. The best part? It lasts for a whole year. 365 days. 52 weeks. That's a long time. They say one of the greatest pleasures in life is anticipation. Chew on that.
Ingredients:
- Mason jars
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 10 cups of water
- 6 pounds of tart apples, washed, peeled and thinly sliced (I used golden delicious and a few granny smith apples).
Directions:
- In a large pot, blend together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the water and lemon juice with a wire whisk.
- Cook and stir until bubbly and thick; remove from heat.
- While the filling is cooking, slice apples and add them into a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 quart of water to avoid discoloration.
- Drain the fruit well before packing in jars. Pack apples into clean mason jars, leaving an inch from the top of the jar.
- Fill with the hot syrup mixture, leaving 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar.
- Remove air bubbles by gently tapping jar on the counter. They should rise to the top.
- Close the jars with sterile lids and rims.
- Place in boiling water for 20 -30 minutes.
- Use a jar tongs to remove the jars from water.
- Place the jars on a dish towel to dry and allow the jars to cool for several hours. Check the seals to make certain the lids are sealed properly (the lids should be lowered in the middle and not move up or down).
I also found free mason jar templates online (Google it) and personalized it on my computer. I then printed them, cut them out and placed them on the top of the can. This is such a fun, unique gift, and it is is the perfect Saturday activity.
Love and apple (pies),
Rachael