Canning Apple Pie Jam

Small Batch Canning Apple Pie Jam

In Michigan, there are a lot of apples in the fall.  Some of the orchards have apples up until the beginning of the year.  That allows us to can so many different apple recipes, including apple pie jam.

Please note that this recipe makes three half pints.  I wanted pints and it only made 1 1/2.  The 1/2 pint was put into the fridge as it is not safe to have that much headspace in a canned jar.

You will notice that this recipe has apples that are chunky, not smooth. Instead of looking like jam, it looked like small jars of apple pie filling. These were delicious though to throw into cinnamon rolls and onto pastries. Don’t let a failure keep you from making this recipe again.

You can even use the apple pie jam to make little apple pies. Check out our other canning recipes to can apples (apple butter, apple sauce and more).

Do You Need to Add Cinnamon To The Jam?

Simple Answer, No.  But if you like the seasoning of a pie, you can add cinnamon and nutmeg to your jam.

How To You Make Small Batches?

Small batches are about half the size of a regular batch.  We use a small batch canner noted below that allows us to make smaller quantities jams and jellies.  This allows you to have a larger variety to chose from. The machine we use is automatically stirring constantly so we don’t need to. The jam is placed into sterilized jars and then a water bath canner to ensure sealing.

How Small Do You Cut the Apple?

You can cut it into half inch cubes, or larger, depending on what you plan to do with the apple pie jam.  We’ve found using it for pastries and cinnamon rolls, makes using a small half pint jar the perfect size.

What is Used to Making Apple Jam?

Making apple jam does not use apple cider or apple juice. You use finely chopped apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. A little butter is used to keep the apple pie jam from boiling over.

What Type of Apples Are Used?

You can use pie apples like gala, fuji or granny smith apples. You may want to mix a couple different varieties to give more flavors. We use fresh apples with some apples being sweet and some tart.