I’ve got your toast ready!
That would be your fresh-baked slice of Grandmother Bread toasted and buttered and slathered with the sweet brown sugary goodness of Caramel Apple Jam!
I got this recipe from Shumom, who posted it on the forum. Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon……. Yum! I love apples. And brown sugar. And cinnamon. (Is that combo not so autumn?) I had exhausted my freebies from the apple tree at the old farmhouse, so I trekked off to the farmer’s market for a bushel of locally-grown apples. They had “pretty” apples for $25/bushel, so I said, “Where are your ugly ones?” They had “deer” apples for $10/bushel. They were just a bit too ugly (as in, lots of bad spots). I settled on these for $15/bushel. They let me pick the best and fill up a big bushel-sized box.
And I went jammin’!
I differed from the original recipe slightly in that rather than coring, peeling, and dicing six cups of apples, I simply cored, roughly cut, and cooked the apples then put them through a food mill. This eliminates that whole peeling mess, and with a bushel, I’m so not into peeling! So instead of starting with six cups uncooked, diced apples, I started with six cups cooked apple pulp. This makes a few differences in your outcome–for one thing, the consistency of the apples is more what you normally use for apple butter or applesauce. Of course, there’s pectin involved, which makes more of a gelled “jam” effect. So in the end this creates something of a cross between a butter and a jam. It leaves, however, the caramel flavor intact. Some people might even mistake it for apple butter, minus the intensity of the cloves and plus the warm sweetness of brown sugar. Whatever you call it, it’s good.
(Canning is easy, by the way! If you don’t know how, check out my How to Can: Hot Water Bath Method.)
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How to make Caramel Apple Jam:
6 cups cooked apple pulp
1 package fruit pectin
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Get your water boiling in your canning pot, rack tucked inside. Boil lids in another, smaller, pot, and remove to dry on a paper towel using tongs. While water is coming to a boil in your big pot with the rack, place prepared apple pulp in another large pot.
Add pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil. (Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming.)
Meanwhile, get your sugars measured and ready. As soon as apple pulp and pectin are at the boil, add sugars and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon all at once.
Return to boil and keep at the full, rolling boil for one minute.
Remove from heat and ladle immediately into clean jars. Place lids on top, screw on bands, and lower onto rack in your pot of boiling water. Cover and boil 10 minutes. For me, this made 4 pints or 8 half-pints per batch.
Canning is a big to-do and takes over your whole kitchen for several hours, turning it into an assembly line. It’s fun!
I had some leftover apple pulp–not enough for a whole ‘nother batch of caramel apple jam–so I made applesauce. I’m not a huge applesauce fan, but I like to use it in baking. For that reason, I don’t oversweeten my applesauce. You may want to add more sugar to this recipe than I do, but this works for me.
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How to make Spiced Applesauce:
(per pint batch)
2 cups apple pulp
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice (or cinnamon or nutmeg)
Place apple pulp in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons sugar per pint of apple pulp in the pot. Bring to a boil. Add allspice and stir in well. Ladle into jars and process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
All together, my bushel of apples yielded two dozen pints of Caramel Apple Jam and Spiced Applesauce.
I’ll be using the Spiced Applesauce for all kinds of baking, muffins in particular. The Caramel Apple Jam will find its way into many recipes, too. Glazed pork and chicken, jam thumbprint cookies, biscuit twists, coffeecake….
A dollop, along with a tablespoon of creamy fresh goat milk, in my oatmeal on cold winter mornings…..
Oh! Your toast! I’m sorry…….
You took too long. I ate it.
See these recipes at Farm Bell Recipes for the handy print pages and to save them to your recipe box:
Caramel Apple Jam
Spiced Applesauce
Shari C says:
Oh, no! I was looking forward to trying that piece of toast. Caramel apple jam sounds wonderful and I bet the spicy applesauce would be very good on my nice hot potato pancakes which I love to have with broiled haddock on Friday nights. Well, now I am hungry so will go make myself some toast with no caramel apple jam to put on it…darn.
On October 15, 2008 at 7:00 am
wkf says:
That shore is sum purty toast and jelly!! Please ma’am can we have a nuther!
:flying:
On October 15, 2008 at 7:27 am
Kari says:
OMG – seriously, that sounds fantablous! After your post about pear butter, I’ve decided to make and can some pear butter and caramel apple jam for holiday gifts. Thanks for the great ideas!
On October 15, 2008 at 8:13 am
Becky says:
That’s not nice, as I sit here eating my boring buttered toast. tee hee
On October 15, 2008 at 8:20 am
Carolyn N says:
Oh, my goodness, I can’t wait to make that Caramel Apple Jam – what great Christmas gifts that would make. I couldn’t help but notice on the last picture with that great slice of bread with jam, the china plate that you have it on. I remember my grandmother, Effie Gandee, using that same china when I was a kid. Thanks for the memory!
Blessings,
Carolyn Gandee Newman
On October 15, 2008 at 8:22 am
ML says:
I made a loaf of bread last night and I’m enjoying my first slice toasted right now. But I must say, my store bought jam just doesn’t look as yummy as your homemade jam. I must overcome my fear of canning.
On October 15, 2008 at 8:24 am
Robin G. says:
I may be making applesauce this weekend. I, too, am not the biggest fan of applesauce, but it’s really useful in spice cakes.
I like this recipe — maybe I’ll make jam too!
On October 15, 2008 at 8:47 am
Suzette says:
That looks and sounds heavenly! One more thing to try. And, thanks, but no thanks on the toast. I just finished a big chunk of Burnt Sugar Cake – the Breakfast of Champions!
On October 15, 2008 at 8:48 am
MARY says:
:butterfly: Man I wish I lived near you! I’d be right over for some!! YUM! 😆
On October 15, 2008 at 9:18 am
Nancy in Atlanta says:
If I get in the car right now and start driving, I can be at your farmhouse in time for breakfast tomorrow. I’ll have grandmother toast, any of your homemade jams and butters, and whatever else you want to put in front of me. Goat’s milk? Eggs? 🙂
On October 15, 2008 at 9:27 am
The Tile Lady-Marie says:
How in the world do you have the time to do all the wonderful things you do? That apple jam looks too good!! Wish I had been quicker and gotten to that toast before you did!!
On October 15, 2008 at 10:08 am
Donna says:
Ohhh, how DIVINE…YUM…you are such a creative person, Suzanne!!! All of the above, looks and sounds wonderful!!!!
I love your Fall view from the house, too! I LOVE Autumn! :sheepjump:
On October 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife says:
Now THAT’S what I’m talking about! Suzanne, I made your Grandmother bread and it’s wonderful, especially heavenly when toasted. You’ve got me into the breadmaking habit and Chocolatechic has me making ice cream and gelato. Very soon I’ll weigh 500 lbs.
– Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife
On October 15, 2008 at 11:55 am
jane says:
Suzanne
when i made the caramel apple jam, i only diced my apples and it was not very thick. Is yours the better way with the pulp? I put it in the frig so it firmed up a bit.
On October 15, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Jodie says:
Coco & the goat say, “bring some for us, put it on cookies!”
On October 15, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Brenda Kula says:
I can almost taste it, it looks so darned good!
Brenda
On October 15, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Kris says:
Suzanne you sure stated it correct when you wrote that canning takes over your entire kitchen. The past two weekends my hubby and I churned out 92 quarts of applesauce. We all love the stuff and I do not add much sugar either. We like ours more chunky than baby food smooth so we just peel and core apples with our hand crank peeler – it gets a workout during apple season.
I have been wanting to try a good apple butter so I think I will give this recipe a try.
I really love canning and the whole process involved. My 8 year old son and forbidden any purchases of store-bought jams or applesauce!! :hungry:
On October 15, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Estella says:
It looks really good!
On October 15, 2008 at 3:59 pm
catslady says:
I just may have to try this one lol. My husband just found a farm near our house and can get half a bushel for only $9 and they are the pretty ones lol.
On October 15, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Jane, I didn’t add the 1/2 cup of water (as per her original recipe posted in the forum) since I used cooked apple pulp. I’d already cooked and drained the apples before making the pulp. I’m not sure what difference that makes since I haven’t tried it the other way, but mine came out plenty thick enough.
On October 15, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Terry says:
I am so gaining toooooo much weight from just reading your yummlicious recipes. I have the goodies to make the Grandmother bread this weekend and altho I do not have any “home” homemade jam, I do have some Amish apple butter that isn’t half bad, and also some tomato preserves, it is really good.
On October 15, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Sandy says:
A good thing to do with some of that left over applesauce is to add some extra cloves and cinnamon and bake it in one of your pie crusts. Sprinkle some extra sugar on top. WOW
On October 15, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Brandy says:
Oh YUM! I have to try this!
On October 15, 2008 at 9:00 pm
TeresaH says:
mmmm…as usual I leave here hungry!
On October 15, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Kim W says:
OH…MY…GOODNESS!!! Now you’ve done it. I’m going to HAVE to make this! :hungry: :snoopy:
Blessings from Ohio…
On October 16, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Minna says:
Mmm… I must try this one.
On October 19, 2008 at 7:17 am
shannon says:
you’re killin’ me!!!!
On October 21, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Alicia says:
I made some of this and canned it yesterday! I used the original recipe and it is SO good! Mine turned out a lighter color and it has little chunks of apple in it. I ate it on my toast this morning and on my PB&J for lunch.
:shimmy:
On December 23, 2008 at 12:29 am
Sidney says:
I LOVE The idea of the caramel apple jam, but am curious about the pectin. Is there not enough pectin in the apples to do without additional pectin? Thanks
On September 10, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Suzanne says:
I got that recipe from someone and posted it (and made it) as per their recipe. However, I’m getting ready to make some apple-maple jam from a recipe in the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. It’s similar to the Caramel Apple Jam recipe and does NOT call for pectin, so my guess is that it’s not necessary.
On September 10, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Pete says:
Well, all, it is more than as advertised!! Managed to squeak out 9 half pints. They all sealed before I even got them out of the water bath – hurray!
The great thing about this is that it appeals to those of us who like the concept of apple butter but find that usually it has too much cinammon and sugar. This is the best of the best! Definitely a keeper! :snoopy:
On October 2, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Rachel says:
so im new to all this…. apple pulp…. how EXACTLY do you cook and prepare it….. this sounds amazing and I LOVE LOVE LOVE apples…. Please help!!!
On March 16, 2010 at 10:43 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Rachel, see how to prepare apple pulp in my apple butter post here: https://chickensintheroad.com/blog/2008/09/19/rum-raisin-apple-butter-easy-apple-butter-coffee-cake/
On March 16, 2010 at 10:50 am
iamjaytee says:
Made the caramel apple jam, its WONDERFUL! I had a bottle of powder pectin and according to the side, 6 tablespoons equals a box, so thats what I used and the consistency is perfect! My two questions are, your jam is much darker than mine, did you use darl brown sugar? and, there is no lemon, are apples high acid for canning? Thanks!
On September 28, 2011 at 10:17 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
iamjaytee, this is basically an apple butter, made like a jam, and it’s fine without added lemon. It might just be the photo that makes mine look darker than yours! Every batch is always a little bit different.
On September 28, 2011 at 10:22 am