festive apple preserve

A good accompaniment to Christmas pork or any roast meats

 

to make 2 jars

1 kg (after peeling and coring) cooking apples
1 tbsp lime juice
350g sugar (eg mix of muscovado and golden caster sugar)
600ml water
zest of 1 orange
spices, eg:
- cinnamon - 2 sticks
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 dstsp ginger finely grated
- 10 cloves
- 10 cardamoms, crushed

1. Chop the apple flesh finely, place in a bowl and add lime juice, stirring to cover the apple and prevent browning.
2. Put the sugar and water in a thick based saucepan, and heat until the sugar is dissolved, bring to the boil.
3. Add the chopped apple, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Pour the contents through a sieve into a boil.  Retain the apple.
5. Return the liquor to the the saucepan to thicken, adding half the orange zest and all the spices.
6. After about 20 minutes, remove the woody remains of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.  Taste the liquor - it shoud already be spicy, but adjust with more powdered spice if needed.
7. Continue to boil the liquor until it thickens, over a low heat, stirring frequently (it can boil over easily so keep a watchful eye).  Use the 'jam test' to establish if it is the correct consistency (put a spoon in the freezer for a few minutes, then drop a little of the liquor on the spoon: if it is viscous and jam-like when cool it is the correct consistency.
8. Add back the cooked apple to the saucepan with the rest of the orange zest, and combine (don't overdo, the apple pieces should retain their shape and not be mushy).
9. Fill your sterilized jars (as full as possible) and screw up the lid.   Should keep for months in the cupboard (fridge once opened).