This apple pie jam recipe is seriously the next best thing to apple pie filling. Except, dare I say it, maybe better because one can smear it on just about anything and not have to wait for said apple pie to bake? Okay, dare accepted, I said it. Seriously, apple pie jam is my new… jam.
I first came across this ball apple pie jam recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Canning but you guys, 9 cups of sugar to 6 cups of apples, we don’t have to be a math major but that is just wrong. There should never be more sugar than fruit, really, there should never be as much sugar as fruit either.
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Good news, I did the alterations and now you can have your apple pie jam and eat it too, without the loads of sugar. (And while we’re on the subject, here is my apple butter recipe for canning, my low-sugar blackberry jam and strawberry jam without the sugar, too.)
One of the beautiful things about Pomona’s Pectin (and no, they’ve never paid me a dime or sent me free product, but if they’re reading this, I’m totally game) is it doesn’t require copious amounts of sugar to set like traditional pectin. It also doesn’t have a lot of questionable ingredients like many brands that are derived from highly GMO crops. Pomona’s website states it’s made from dried citrus peels, not corn or apples, and is GMO free.
My other favorite part, I can do multiple batches of jam from one box of pectin and I can make them low sugar or sugar free (yep, totally true) because Pomona Pectin uses calcium water to get the set, not sugar.
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How to Make Apple Pie Jam
Peel, core, and chop up 8 cup of apples. I prefer to use a sweet apple so I don’t need to add as much sugar. My favorite apple for baking and cooking is a Gravenstein and that’s what you see featured here. Place it in a big old stainless steel pot and add 8 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until apples are soft.
Add 4 teaspoons of calcium water (comes in the Pomona Pectin and activates the pectin). Boil for 1 more minute.
Add your spices and the sugar mixed with the powdered pectin. Return to a boil and stir constantly (because burnt sugar is so not wanted here) for 2 minutes. You’ll see and feel the mixture start to thicken up. Take it off the heat.
Pour into clean canning jars to a 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and add more jam if needed to keep the headspace.
Place in a water bath canner, making sure the water level is 1 inch above the surface of the jars and process jars for 10 minutes. Remember, don’t start your time until the water is at a full boil.
Turn off heat and remove the canner lid, after 5 minutes remove jars to a towel covered counter top and let cool. Check seals after 24 hours, remove bands and wipe down the surface of the jars and store in the pantry.
While I’ve already made 4 batches of this darling (if you’re on my Christmas list, maybe only make 1 batch as I’ve got ya covered) I still have quarts of this true home canned apple pie filling recipe because a girl can never have too many Mason jars filled with food on her shelf… or too many apple pies, right?
Options for Apple Pie Jam Canning Recipe
You can use 3/4 cup of finely chopped dried cranberries. Add them with the calcium water and spices.
Apple Pie Jam Low Sugar Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups peeled chopped, and cored apples
- ¾ cup dried cranberries optional
- 8 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- 4 teaspoons calcium water
- 4 teaspoons powder pectin
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop up 8 cup of apples. I prefer to use a sweet apple so I don’t need to add as much sugar. My favorite apple for baking and cooking is a Gravenstein and that’s what you see featured here.
- Place it in a big old stainless steel pot and add 8 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until apples are soft.
- Add 4 teaspoons of calcium water (comes in the Pomona Pectin and activates the pectin). Boil for 1 more minute.
- Add your spices and the sugar mixed with the powdered pectin. Return to a boil and stir constantly (because burnt sugar is so not wanted here) for 2 minutes. You’ll see and feel the mixture start to thicken up. Take it off the heat.
- Pour into clean canning jars to a ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and add more jam if needed to keep the headspace. Place in a water bath canner, making sure the water level is 1 inch above the surface of the jars and process jars for 10 minutes. Remember, don’t start your time until the water is at a full boil.
- Turn off heat and remove the canner lid, after 5 minutes remove jars to a towel covered counter top and let cool. Check seals after 24 hours, remove bands and wipe down the surface of the jars and store in the pantry.
- You can use ¾ cup of finely chopped dried cranberries. Add them with the calcium water and spices.
I have pears galore… Would this work with pears?
Didn’t set up, more like applesauce. Tastes great though. Will reprocess with another box of pectin and see what happens
I am very anxious to try this. I have not been successful with canning, so I make freezer jam now. I have made strawberry and peach with North Carolina fruit this year. I used pectin and there was a recipe included for freezer jam, so I am curious why you recommend no pectin with freezer jam.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I had very little sugar left in my storage, and 50 lbs of apples ripening too quickly in the basement. I doubled this, adding some extra cinnamon, since I used fresh ground nutmeg. I also added a few drops of Doterra lemon oil. It is absolutely delicious. I love that I’ll be able to use up the apples as they ripen. I let an acquaintance taste it, just to be neighborly, and now she wants to buy it. Do you know if it’s ok to add essential oils like lemon or cinnamon to canned preserves? Does it affect the seal?
How many apples does it take to make 8 cups?
That depends on the size of your apples, which varies.
Hi,
I’m in the UK. I’ve managed to find Pomona’s Pectin but could you let me know roughly how many grams of apples would be in an American cup?
Ta!
I just found your recipe, used it, & love it! Are there any uses for all of the extra calcium & calcium water?
It stays in the fridge for months.
Can you use splenda in place of the sugar?
Technically yes, but I haven’t used it to tell you exact amounts or if just use it as an even split.
Have not tried to make jam, but Imagine brand Allulose and Monkfruit Blend can be used one for one as a tastier sugar replacement and might be healthier than Splenda, too!
Why bottled lemon juice when I have a perfect Meyer lemon tree in my back yard? For canning why do so many recommend bottled vs fresh?
Because fresh lemons depending on variety and harvest time vary in acid content, the bottled means it’s a constant and pH doesn’t change so the recipes stays within the required pH level for safety against botulism.
Thank you. I wondered about this, too!
Can I use regular cranberries instead of dried?
Where do you get calcium water?
The calcium powder comes with the Pomona’s pectin and you mix it up
My Pomona’s pectin arrived today from Amazon. I am going to make this tomorrow. I would love to double the recipe instead of making it twice (that way I can fill and heat my canner once), but I’m a bit hesitant, I want it to turn out.
Pomona’s pectin allows you to double or triple, unlike other brands, so you can do a double batch!
I did a double batch, ended up with 11 8 oz jelly jars of very delicious jam. I have to make more.
You have inspired me, I have a juicer that steams the fruit to get the juice out. Last year I used it to make apple sauce, and I also canned the apple juice. This year that juice is going to become apple jelly.
Yay, so happy you liked it and have plans to make more. Those steam juicers aren’t great aren’t they? I have one too and love it
I have had mine for a few years. It makes the best apple sauce, nice and thick. Until this year, I never thought of using the juice from the apples for anything other than juice. I just finished my first batch of apple jelly.
Hi
Can you use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled?
Thanks
No, you must use bottled lemon juice to ensure the acidity, fresh lemons vary in their amount of acid so to ensure the overall pH of this recipe is 4.6 or lower, it needs to be bottled.
This sounds delicious! I want to try this but use dried currents instead of the dried cranberries.
Can you just cook it down longer to make it thick like you would with applesauce, instead of using pectin? I make most of my jams this way, and I think the flavor is so much better without pectin! (Though I’ve never tried the Pomona’s one you mentioned.)
Rose.
Rose you can try it as apples have a good amount of pectin in them already. Let me know how it turns out if you do.
I’m going to attempt this tomorrow after apple picking (here’s hoping the rain quits) I do have a couple questions – says the yield is 3 pints? 6 jam jar size? And only one cup water? Seems low..
thanks for your time
Hi Janis, it’s one cup water and 1/2 cup lemon juice, plus the apples release juice as they cook. It’s 6 cups of finished jam, so 3 pints or six 4 ounce jam jars.
Do you need to change the recipe any to make it totally sugar free.
This looks wonderful. Have you tried canning this recipe in 4 oz jars? Would the water bath time remain st 10 minutes or be somewhat reduced? Hope to make this as Christmas gifts. Thanks!
Jennifer, I would keep the water bath time the same but you can definitely use smaller jars.
I made the Apple Pie Jam exactly like the directions said and it turned out great. The flavor is just perfect, not too sweet. I ordered the Pomona’s Universal Pectin from Amazon and it was so easy to use. Thanks for tweaking the recipe to make it more healthy. Will be making it again.
Yay, Christine, so glad you liked it and it turned out for you!
Just saw the post/link on making your own apple pectin & I think I’m going to try it. Since it won’t come with usage instructions how much of it would I add?
Cindy, I personally haven’t tried it to know exactly. I would start with a 1/4 cup or so and then test for gelling and keep adding until it reaches the sheet test.
I can’t wait to try this. Your instructions are so easy to follow. I really enjoy your podcasts. Thanks!
Can you double this recipe? I read on one of your jam posts not to double it (your strawberry rhubarb one?). Does that apply here as well? Also, why can’t you double it? Thanks!
If you’re using regular pectin, you can’t double it, if you’re using Pomona’s Pectin or no pectin recipes (where you use the zest of lemons, limes, etc.) then you can usually double them. Doubling it with regular pectin ends up in it not setting or gelling.
Hi – Silly question…. what exactly is calcium water and where do you find it? Thanks…
It comes with Pomona’s pectin.
Hi Melissa
I have a freezer full sliced apples. Do you think he jam would come out right using the frozen apples. Keep in mind the apples will not be real hard once they are trawled. They are golden delicious apples.
Where do you find Pomona Pectin?
Respectfully. Sheila
Hi Sheila,
You could definitely try it, beings we want the apples to be mushy anyways it would probably work great. I linked to the Pomona’s pectin (just click on it) in the blog post or here it is as well. I get mine from Amazon as I rarely find it in the stores.
http://amzn.to/2dUiVgB *affiliate link
Would this work if you kept the peel on the apples?
Cathy,
Beings you only boil it for about 10 minutes, I’m afraid the skin wouldn’t get soft and the texture wouldn’t be as good. I do leave the skins on for applesauce, but I don’t think it would work as well here.
Hello Melissa! I came across this recipe recently and noticed there wasn’t an answer to the person who asked if you can just eliminate the sugar. Is it okay to either eliminate the sugar or use another form of sugar such as coconut sugar? I can’t have cane sugar, but this sounds so good!
Hey Megan, sorry I missed that, if you’re using the Pomona’s Pectin it will give instructions for eliminating sugar and using stevia (I haven’t done it totally sugar free to say from personal experience) but following there instructions (you might need to increase the lemon juice, I can’t remember off the top of my head with their instructions on going sugar free) you’ll be fine. Yes, you should be fine with coconut sugar, it might give it a more molasses flavor but I think it would be great!
I have pears galore… Would this work with pears?
Yes, it should work with pears just fine.
Can this recipe be used with other brands of pectin? I totally agree that there should never be as much sugar as fruit! : )
Julie,
I haven’t tried it with other brands, but it should work just fine with any other kind of pectin, just follow the instructions on whatever brand you end up using.
Where and what is calcium water?
Does that help pectin???
Calcium water (powder) comes with the pomona pectin. This is what helps with the “jell”. The box or bag comes with full instructions.
The recipe sounds great. Is it possible to make it as freezer jam, and if so what changes would need to be made? Thanks.
Diane,
It should work just fine as a freezer jam. If you’re not canning it, you wouldn’t need to use as much lemon juice (it’s there for acidity reasons with canning safety) and of course, omit the pectin and calcium water, other than that, all remains the same.