Pumpkin Jam
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 3 x 350ml jars of jam
- 2 x smallish Granny Smith apples (around 250g/8.8ozs.)
- 600g/21.2ozs. pumpkin chunks
- 250ml-350ml (8.8-12.4flozs.) water
- 1 lemon
- 275g/9.7ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Step 1 - Peel the apples and core them but keep the skin and core. Peel the lemon and juice it also keeping the seeds and peel. Place the apple and lemon peels in a square of muslin cloth and tie with string.
Step 2 - In a saucepan, place 250ml/1 cup of the water, pumpkin, apple and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil with the muslin package (this will help to extract the pectin). Simmer with the lid on until the apple is translucent and the pumpkin is soft (add more water if needed, you want there to be some water which will thicken from the pectin from the peels). Cool the mixture until cool enough to handle and squeeze all the liquid from the muslin pouch. Puree the mixture until smooth.
Step 3 - Return the puree to the saucepan and add the sugar and vanilla to taste. Place in hot sterilised jars*. This can keep for months if you get a good seal in the lid or you can also can it and it will last for a year.
To sterilise jars, heat the jars and lids in a 100C/212F for 15 minutes. Make sure the jars are hot when you put the hot jam in it (the glass will crack if it is cold).