Apple Jam

In the old days in Lebanon, people used to store their food in what we call in Arabic, a “Mouneh” or another term for the Lebanese Pantry. In the villages, these pantries were made usually under brick structures –  prove the equivalent of today’s fridges. Since fruits are not all available all year around we used to make jams from all kinds of fruits to enjoy them even out of season.

Today I made apple jam. Apple, known for its vitamins and minerals is an ideal jam for the cold winters in the mountains in Lebanon, and since some would grow apples near their homes, it was common to find them in the Mouneh of people’s village homes.

I would like to share with you my mother’s recipe for apple jam, which my mother herself took from her mother.

Ingredients:

• 1kg of yellow apple
• one  lemon
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Preparation:

• Wash the apples, peel them, remover the seeds and cut into quarters
• Cut the lemon and rub the apples so they wont turn black color
• Put the apples in a casserole, cover it with 3 cups of water and boil until it becomes tender
• Remove the apples and put aside. Add the sugar to the boiling water with the cinnamon stick and let it boil for 5 minutes
• Put the apples back to the water and let it boil on a medium heat fire
• Reduce the heat and and let it simmer on a very low fire until the color of the apples turn like honey color and it thickens also like honey consistance
• If the apples get dry before it reaches the desired color, you can add a little bit of water.
• Put the apple jam in a jar, when it becomes cold close the jar tightly.

ET VOILA.. C’EST TOUT.