Christmas spiced apple and cherry jam

This is a jam recipe I concocted myself because I had a tin of black cherries I needed to use up!

Ingredients:

1kg of cooking apples
1 400g tin of black cherries in light syrup or juice
125 ml of water
1kg of golden caster sugar
Juice of half a lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1tbs mixed spice

Equipment:

Jam pan or an extremely large sauce pan
Muslin
Jam funnel (optional)
Sugar thermometer (optional)
2 saucers or small plates
Jam jars - sterilised (5 or 6 small jam jars - 2 - 3 large ones

Method

1   Place the 2 saucers into the freezer - you'll need them later

2   Peel and roughly chop the apples

3   Add the apples, lemon juice and water into the jam pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally,  so to soften the apples.

4   Wrap the cinnamon sticks and the mixed spice in the muslin to make a muslin bag tied at the top. Then add the bag to the softening apples.

5   Once the apples are soft add the sugar and stir in. Gently heat until the sugar has completely dissolved into the pulpy apple and juice. Then add the cherries and continue to heat gently for another 5 minutes.

6   Remove the muslin bag of spices and turn up the heat. Make sure to stir regularly so that the jam doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Simmer vigorously. If scum appears on the top either skim off the surface or add a knob of butter which dissolves the scum.  If you are using a jam thermometer you want to get the temperature of the jam to 104. However, I find that my jam can sometimes set before my thermometer claims it's at temperature. So once your jam has vigorously simmered for 15 minutes or when it is approaching 104 on the thermometer you can test the set.

7   You need those saucers in the freezer for testing the set. Take one of the saucers out of the freezer and spoon a teaspoon amount of jam on to the cold saucer. Wait for a minute and then nudge the jam with your finger. if you can plough your finger through the jam, and your jam wrinkles as you push, it has set. If not keep vigorously simmering the jam for another 5 - 10 minutes and test again.

8   You need some sterilised jars - please see the mincemeat recipe for how to sterilise jars - about 5 or 6 small jars or 2 larger kilner jars. Using a jam funnel spoon the jam into the jars and allow to cool. The jam will keep well but once opened keep in the fridge. It's a beautiful rich purple jam thanks to the black cherries.