Apple Pie Jam with Bourbon is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin and adapted from Pomona’s Apple Pie Jam recipe by Kim Pedley of Township Valley Farm in Browns Valley, California. Pomona’s Universal Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener. Kim says: “I made this Apple Pie Jam with Bourbon for gifts. I used a combination of apples (Honey Crisp, Opal, Green Dragon, and Pink Lady) for a great layered flavor.”
Servings 5 cups
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound apples 9 to 12 medium apples
- ¼ cup up to ½ cup water
- 4 cups of cooked apple sauce with some apple chunks from ingredients above
- 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 Tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
- 2 teaspoons Bourbon Vanilla
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare calcium water.To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
- Peel, core, and chop all the apples except one. Put the chopped apples into a sauce pan with the water. Bring to a simmer and simmer covered, stirring and mashing occasionally, until you have fairly smooth apple sauce.
- Meanwhile, chop the final apple into small pieces and put into a separate small sauce pan with a little water and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until fork tender. Stir the apple chunks into the apple sauce. Remove from heat and measure out 4 cups of apple sauce and apple chunks.
- Put measured amount of cooked apple sauce with chunks into sauce pan.
- Add calcium water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and mix well.
- Measure full amount of sugar into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sugar. Set aside.
- Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.
- Add the Bourbon Whiskey and the vanilla extract now and stir well. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
- Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
Stephanie
This recipe is amazing! Tastes just like Apple Pie. Can peaches be substituted for the apples in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
Thank you! Yes, they sure can.
Rebecca L Ross
Hello, I would like to use crabapple’s instead of regular apples. Will I need to adjust the recipe?
Thanks!
Shelby Collings
You sure can, no adjustment needed, happy jamming!
Josie
Could I substitute the sugar with honey or even maple syrup?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! You will use 3/4 cup to 1 cup of honey for this recipe.
Jenna
Is this recipe used to make jam that you spread on toast, or to make pie filling? I’m assuming jam, but the photo is causing doubt.
Shelby Collings
This recipes is for jam.
Jennifer Bell
This is so easy and tastes like apple butter but is a million times faster to make.
Jennifer Bell
The part about using apple sauce is confusing and not necessary. It also would result in a mushy jam. Use the sliced apples and cook until soft. This was it looks more like apple pie.
Vivian
This “jam” is tasty, but comes out like applesauce. I’m a long-time user of Pomona’s pectin, and know to expect a spread rather than commercial jam. But unless you want the world’s fanciest applesauce, this recipe is a waste of expensive Bourbon Vanilla. (I wish I could post a photo to show you.)
Annee
This is a very good jam. Instead of the bourbon, I substituted apple pie moonshine. Added another flavor depth. Yummy! Thanks for the original recipe. Pomona’s pectin is the BEST!! I like that you can be so creative with recipes.
Lin
Thinking about making this in a larger quantity. Would I simply double or even triple this recipe?
Shelby Collings
Hello Lin,
Yes, you can double or triple the recipe.
Happy jamming!
Talya
Can the sugar be reduced in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! We would recommend using no less than 1/2 cup total.
Happy jamming 😊
Jane Guzzwell
I’d be interested to know how this “jam” differs from apple butter….?
Shelby Collings
Apple Butter is a smooth, silky consistency that from the de-peeled apples being slow cooked for a long period of time.
This Apple Pie Bourbon Jam has chunks and is not cooked for a long period of time.
Happy jamming!