What’s Inside: In this article, I share with you an apple pie jam recipe for the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker. I give you the entire process of making and canning apple pie jam. I start off by giving you some tips for preparing the ingredients, then move into how to make the jam using the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker, and finally show you how to preserve the jam by canning it using the Nesco Smart Canner. And don’t worry, if canning isn’t your thing, there are two other simple ways to preserve it that don’t involve canning.
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Apple Pie Jam Recipe for the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
In the video above, do a deep dive into how to make apple pie jam using the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker. I demonstrate preparing the ingredients and go over the recipe. I also show you how to can it using the Nesco Smart Canner.
If you want to simplify the process of making jam and jelly, The Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker is the way to go! I hesitated to buy a single use device like this, but now I’m hooked, and actually have two of them!
Preparing the Ingredients for Apple Pie Jam
To start with, we need to prep our apples. Peeling, coring, and finely chopping them is key. To make things easier, I used an apple corer to remove the core. It’s a bit tricky as apples can be hard, so I recommend twisting and turning the corer to get it all the way through. Once the core is out, it’s time to chop the apples into chunks.
I started off by cutting the apples into chunks that were about ½ to 1 inch thick. I then finely chopped them.
I used a food processor for this task, pulsing until they were nicely chopped. Do be careful not to overdo it, we don’t want apple sauce! I found that putting in two apples at a time and cutting them into half-inch size chunks before processing worked best.
Apple Pie Jam Ingredients
Preserving by the Pint
If you only choose one book for making jam and jelly using your Ball Jam and Jelly Maker, this is the one! The recipes range from basic to unique, and from sweet to savory, so regardless of your taste preferences, you’ll find several recipes that will work well for you.
Before I get into the ingredients and recipe, I want to give credit where credit is due. I got this recipe from the book Jams and Jellies: Preserving By The Pint In Minutes. (Amazon)
Now let’s look at the ingredients.
- 3 ¼ cups of finely chopped or grated apples
- 3 tablespoons powdered pectin
- 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Note that I made a few changes to the above recipe. The first change I made was using half brown sugar and half granulated sugar, instead of using all granulated sugar. I made this change because I wanted to have a bit of a caramel apple taste to it, which brown sugar provides.
In addition to that, I’m not a big fan of nutmeg, and don’t have any, so I eliminated the nutmeg and increased the cinnamon amount to 2 teaspoons.
Making Apple Pie Jam in the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
Pour pectin on the bottom of the jam and jelly maker. Spread the apples evenly on top of the pectin. Pour in the lemon juice. Put in the butter. Select Jam, and then Enter. 21 minutes will display on the jam maker. After 4 minutes, the jam maker will beep. Pour in the sugar. The brown sugar may be a little clumpy, but don’t worry about it. It will melt incorporate into the other ingredients. Put the lid on the jam maker. Here’s what the apple pie jam looked like after it was finished processing. Here’s what the jam looked like when I took it out of the canner.
The first step in the jam-making process is to evenly sprinkle the powdered pectin across the bottom of the jam maker. Next, layer the chopped apples on top of the pectin, followed by the lemon juice and butter.
You don’t need to be super precise with this, but do your best to evenly spread out the ingredients. For instance, I started off by sprinkling the powdered pectin across the bottom of the jam maker, so that it was more or less even. I then dumped in the apples. I attempted to gradually add them to the jam maker, so they wouldn’t be in one big pile. But as I was pouring them in, a bunch went in at once. So I just spread them out a bit so they were, again, more or less evenly distributed.
Finally, I poured in the lemon juice, and added the butter.
Then, press the ‘jam’ setting, cover, and the jam maker will start stirring away, and cooking the jam. After 4 minutes, the jam maker will beep.
Add the Sugar and Cinnamon to the Apple Pie Jam
At that point, add in the sugar and cinnamon. Rather than dumping in all of the sugar at once, I gradually added it, pouring it evenly over the apples.
Since the brown sugar was packed, larger clumps of it ended up in the jam maker. I just spread it out, so that it was more or less even. At that point, I sprinkled in the cinnamon over the top.
There were still some clumps of brown sugar, but I didn’t worry about them because I knew that the sugar would melt as it heated up, and would all be worked into the apples.
When the maker beeps again, we’ve reached the finish line! The jam is hot, so caution is key when removing the stirrer. It’s time to savor the result, but we’re not done yet.
If you want to simplify the process of making jam and jelly, The Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker is the way to go! I hesitated to buy a single use device like this, but now I’m hooked, and actually have two of them!
Preserving Apple Pie Jam
There are 3 ways to preserve the apple pie jam you make at home.
The first way is to simply refrigerate it. It will last for three weeks in the fridge.
The second way is to freeze it. Put it in a mason jar, or other airtight container with a lid, and pop it in the freezer. Be sure to leave at least 1/4″ headspace so that the jam has room to expand, before freezing it. It will last for about a year in the freezer.
The final way is to water bath can the jam for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. This is the way that I’m choosing, because I want the jam to be shelf stable, and I want it to last for more than a year. In my case, I’m canning the apple pie jam in the Nesco canner. Keep reading to learn how to water bath can the jam in the Nesco or Carey canner.
Canning Apple Pie Jam in the Nesco Canner
This is the canner that I’ve been using for years now. I simply love it! If I had to buy only one canner, this would be it. I love that it can handle quarts and can water bath and pressure can. It’s the perfect size, and is often available at a better price than other electric canners.
Now let’s get into the step-by-step process of canning the apple pie jam in the Nesco canner.(Amazon)
Getting the Jars Ready in the Nesco
One thing I love about using the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker is that while it’s working away, I can do other things, such as cleaning up my prep mess, and getting the canning jars ready.
Here’s what I did. After adding the sugar to the jam maker, I put canning jars into the canner. I put in what I anticipated needing for the jam, as well as some extra jars, so that I’d be running a full canner.
Note that in order for the jam to process properly, you need a minimum of 4 pints in the canner, which is why you add the extra jars. Also, on a practical note, I’ve found that the extra jars help stabilize the jars that I have filled with jam, so they don’t end up falling over during the canning process.
After putting the jars into the canner, I cover them with water. I use the water bath setting, and put in a time of 1 minute. The goal here is just to get the water hot, and the jars heated, so that’s why I put the lowest amount of time possible. I then shut the lid, and pushed start.
This got the process started of heating both the water, and the jars. Note that as soon as the water was hot, I turned off the canner. I didn’t wait for the steady stream of steam, and for the timer to count down. I kept the lid shut so that the jars and water would stay hot.
Filling Canning Jars
A canning funnel makes the task of filling the jars much easier, and less messy. Use a headspace measuring tool to make sure you have 1/4″ of headspace. Use any flat, plastic object to debubble the jars.
The next part is actually canning the jam. If you prefer, you can store it in the fridge (for about 3 weeks) or freezer (up to a year). But I’m canning mine for a longer shelf life.
With my jars hot from the Nesco canner, I used a canning funnel (Amazon), and ladled the jam into the jars, aiming for 1/4 inch headspace. I used a measuring tool (Amazon) to ensure accuracy. After debubbling, I wiped the rims with vinegar to ensure a good seal, then secured the lids, fingertip tight.
To my surprise, the recipe yielded only two full half-pint jars and one partial jar. No worries, though! Even if it’s a little less than expected, every bit of this Apple Pie Jam is a treasure.
Canning Apple Pie Jam
I loaded the two half-pints of apple pie jam into the Nesco (Amazon). I filled the canner up the rest of the way with empty canning jars, filled with water. You always want to run a full canner, plus the extra jars add some stability to the jars of jam.
I poured in enough hot water to cover the jars by about an inch. It then poured in the remaining vinegar leftover from wiping the rims. The vinegar helps keep any hot water deposits from forming on the jars and lids.
I then shut the lid, and turned it to the closed position. I also put the valve in the exhaust position.
Select the Water Bath Setting
On the control panel, select ‘water bath steam’ and set for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. In my case, due to my altitude, I needed to add on an additional 5 minutes, for a total of 15 minutes. If you’re unsure about adjusting canning times for altitude, check out this blog post for more information.
Then, push the start button.
Now if you’re new to using the Nesco canner, you may think your job is done, but not quite.
Watch for a Steady Stream of Steam
The next thing you need to do is wait until you see a steady stream of steam coming out of the valve. This generally takes between 25 – 30 minutes.
Once the steady steam starts, I press start again on the panel. The countdown timer begins. If your are at an elevation of 1,000 feet or lower, it will count down 10 minutes. In my case, due to my altitude, I added on an extra five minutes, so the time on the display was 15 minutes. As the timer counts down to one minute, the canner becomes noisy. But don’t worry, that’s normal! It’s just boiling away, doing its job.
Unplug Your Nesco/Carey Canner
When the timer beeps, unplug the canner. According to the Nesco canner manual, you can open the lid immediately, and immediately remove the jars. But I’ve found that even with water bath canning, some pressure builds which makes it impossible to open the canner right away. I generally have to wait about five minutes for the pressure to drop, and I can then open the canner.
Wait just a couple more minutes before using a jar lifter (Amazon) to remove the jars. Put them onto a towel and let them cool for between 12 and 24 hours before checking the seal. If any of the jars didn’t seal, either reprocess them or put them into the fridge or freezer.
And there you have it, folks! Our Apple Pie Jam journey has come to a sweet and satisfying end. From peeling and chopping apples, to stirring in sugar and cinnamon, to sealing our jars in the Nesco Smart Canner, it’s been an absolute pleasure sharing this experience with you.
This is the canner that I’ve been using for years now. I simply love it! If I had to buy only one canner, this would be it. I love that it can handle quarts and can water bath and pressure can. It’s the perfect size, and is often available at a better price than other electric canners.