From Orchard to Jar: Apple Cinnamon Jam with Local Apples
- ourspanishfarm
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
I brought home a wooden crate this week, heavy enough that I had to stop halfway up the path to rest my arms. Inside were nearly 10 kilograms of apples, bought from a farmer just a short drive away. Their skins were still dusted with orchard soil, their fragrance sweet and earthy. Setting the crate down in the kitchen felt like setting autumn itself on the table.
The first thing I always do with a harvest this large is sort. Apples with small bruises or blemishes never last long, so they get stacked aside for baking or jam. The unblemished ones will keep for weeks in crates in the pantry, a row of golden and red globes waiting their turn. But as I stood there, looking at the mountain before me, I knew where at least a few of them were headed: into jars.
There is something timeless about making apple cinnamon jam. The apples soften into a golden pulp, and just as the kitchen fills with their fragrance, a spoonful of cinnamon is stirred in, warm and comforting. This batch, though, is different from the recipes my grandmother once made, because I use low sugar pectin. It lets the apples speak for themselves, their tart-sweet flavor brightened rather than buried by sweetness.
From the crate of ten kilos, I measured out just two kilograms of apples for my small batch recipe. Enough to fill about half a dozen jars, just the right number for the pantry shelves, with one extra to be eaten while still warm on fresh bread.
The work is simple but grounding. Peel, core, chop. Apples tumbling into the pot, a splash of water to keep them from sticking. They simmer until soft, until the spoon moves through them easily. Then comes the lemon juice, the sugar stirred together with the packet of low sugar pectin, and finally the cinnamon. The pot comes to a rolling boil, bubbling furiously for a moment before settling back down. A quick test on a chilled plate tells me the jam is ready, it wrinkles under my finger, holding its shape.
I ladle the golden mixture into jars, the steam clouding my glasses, the lids sealing with that familiar, satisfying pop. By the end, the kitchen smells like a memory of autumn—apples and cinnamon, comfort and warmth.
This is why I love preserving. From ten kilos of apples, I’ll bake, dry, and store many different things, but this jam holds something more. It’s a way to capture the season itself, to line it up on a shelf so I can taste October in the deep of January.
Later, when the mornings are frosty and the fire crackles in the stove, I’ll spread this jam on toast and remember the weight of that crate, the orchard air, and the hands that grew the apples. Preserving apples isn’t just about food—it’s about keeping the story of the harvest alive.
Do you ever buy fruit in bulk from local farmers? 🍏 What’s your favorite way to use a big apple haul, pies, cider, or jam? Share in the comments, and if you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram with @ourspanishfarm so I can see your jars!
Apple Cinnamon Jam Recipe (2kg Apples, Low Sugar Pectin)
Ingredients (makes about 5–6 medium jars):
2 kg apples (peeled, cored, chopped)
500–700 g sugar (depending on taste)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 packet low sugar pectin (follow brand instructions)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
Peel, core, and chop the apples into small chunks.
Place them in a large pot with a splash of water. Simmer until softened.
Stir in lemon juice and cinnamon.
Mix sugar with the pectin, then add to the pot, stirring well to dissolve.
Bring to a rolling boil for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Test set on a chilled plate—if it wrinkles when pushed, it’s ready.
Ladle into sterilized jars, wipe rims, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Comments