We had a huge apple harvest this year. The branches were so heavy they were bending all the way to the ground, we had to prop them up to keep them from breaking.
By the end of August, the apples had begun to fall, meaning they were ripe and time to harvest. Every day, there were more and more apples lying on the grass under the trees.
We picked apples, gave them away, and ate them ourselves. And then we decided it was time to process some of the harvest—we'd make jam. compote, apple jam for pies, apple cider vinegar.
The other day we picked a bucket of apples and I started preparing them.
First, I decided to make jam. I washed the apples thoroughly and cut them into slices.
I weighed it to know how much sugar I needed.
I poured sugar in a 1:1 ratio into a large saucepan and added half a glass of water to make syrup.
When the sugar dissolved, I added the apple slices, mixed well and cooked for about 5 minutes over low heat.
Then I turned off the stove and let the jam cool and sit so that the slices were soaked in the syrup.
I added just a little citric acid because our apples are sweet, and the jam tasted sweet too. The citric acid gave it a sweet-tart flavor. The citric acid also prevents the apple slices from overcooking, preserving the apples' color and aroma.
It also acts as a preservative. The jam will last longer. We store all our preserves in the apartment, in a closet in the hallway.
I simmered the jam for a little while longer, about 10 minutes over low heat. The jam was ready; the syrup had become thick and honey-colored. I made three jars.
There are still a lot of apples, and I made compote of whole apples.