Happiness in a jar is Japanese apple jam. This delightful and unique preserve captures the essence of crisp, sweet apples in a cosy home-style spread. It’s one of my favourite types of jam in Japan but isn’t something I’ve seen in any other place I’ve visited. Luckily it’s super easy to make at home with fresh local apples. It’s the perfect condiment for adding a burst of fruity flavor in pastries and desserts, on toast, ice cream and yoghurt, and even for pairing with savoury dishes!
Table of contents
What is Japanese Apple Jam?
Apple jam is a preserve or condiment made from apples. This type of jam did not originate in Japan as jam was first introduced to Japan from Europe where jam making has a long tradition and history as a preserved food. The first jam made in Japan was strawberry jam made in the Meiji era, which is only about 150 years ago. Nowadays there are many more types of jam in Japan including apple jam. Although apple jam didn’t originate in Japan, Japanese apple jam is unlike others. The International food standard (CODEX), classifies jam as a preserve that has over 60-65% sugar content. However, in Japan the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) approve preserves that have over 40% sugar content as “jam”. About 45% of jam sold in Japan has 40-45% sugar content. This is why apple jam (and many other jams) in Japan have a much more subdued sweetness that lets the flavour of the fruit shine. The Japanese apple jam that many overseas visitors praise is not overly sweet and is a very special jam that you can only get in Japan.
Reference : ジャムと砂糖の話
Why Japanese Apple Jam is a Must Try?
Japanese apple jam is a unique and delightful twist on traditional apple preserves. As mentioned above, it has a subdued sweetness so the taste of apple is prominent and it has the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
It also has delicious little soft chunks of apple in it that add a bit of texture to the jam. The jam is not only delicious but also versatile so it works for anything you want like pies, pastries, desserts, toast, yoghurt, and more.
Ingredients you need
To make Japanese apple jam, you will need the following ingredients:
Apples
When making apple jam, it’s important to choose the right kind of apples for the best flavor and texture. The popular choice for Japanese apple jam is Fuji apples. They’re sweet and juicy with a distinct flavour. However they become soft when cooked and don’t really hold their shape so this is good if you prefer a mashed texture. Another great option is Granny Smith apples, which hold their shape when cooked and have a tart flavor that pairs well with sugar and spices. I also love to use Pink Lady apples because the skin adds a little bit of colour to the jam and also the firm flesh holds its shape when cooked. But I used Royal Gala apples this time which are also good for adding colour. Peeling and adding the peel to the jam extracts pectin which helps to form jelly and adds colour.
Sugar
For this homemade apple jam recipe, you need about 3/4 cups of sugar. In general, we need a sugar which dissolves quickly when making jam, normal white sugar is fine for homemade apple jam. But I used caster sugar, and if you can get superfine caster sugar it gives a better result. You could also use brown sugar.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice brings zest and tang to the jam. The citrusy notes balance out the sweetness and add depth of flavor. Also the natural pectin present in apples helps in setting the jam, but sometimes it may not be enough. Lemon juice contains pectin as well, which can help achieve a better set for the jam.
Beware of the pot you make the jam
An enamel pot is the easiest and most readily available pot to use for making jam at home. It is strong against both acid and alkali, and will not affect the taste and colour of the ingredients in it. A copper pot is a great option too and professional chefs like to use copper pots because of their great heat conduction but I don’t have a copper pot so used an enamel-coated pot that I bought from IKEA. Avoid aluminium pots because they will chemically react to the fruit acid.
How to Make homemade apple jam?
- Wash, peel and core the apples. Don’t discard the skin and core as they are used later.
- In a bowl, put 1 cup water and dissolve a teaspoon of salt in the water and add the peeled apples as you peel them.
- Remove the apple from the salty water and cut them into chunks.
- Place the apple chunks into an enamel-coated pot and add the peeled skin and the core as well.
- Add the sugar over the apple and apple skin. Leave it for about 2 hours. The moisture in the apple will be extracted and you will see liquid at the bottom of the pot.
- Place the pot over medium heat and add lemon juice.
- Bring the apple and apple juice extract to boil. Skim off any scum on the surface with a little sieve.
- Simmer it for 20 minutes or until the mixture has thickened, stir often with a wooden spoon. Once the colour of the apple skin comes off in the liquid, remove all apple skin before the liquids get thickened and discard them.
- While the jam is hot, ladle the jam into sterilised half-pint jars, wipe the rim and seal lids tightly.
- Cool jars down at room temperature then refrigerate.
Tips for Making Japanese Apple Jam
- Choose apples that are both sweet and slightly tart for the best flavor balance.
- The core has a lot of pectin, so adding it when boiling will help thicken it just the right amount.
- Slowly boiling the apples releases more water and pectin (the ingredient that makes jam hard).
Proven ways to preserve the apple jam
Sterilising the storing jar is essential to preserve the jam. The length of the storing period will depend on which sterilising method you use. I used the following proven method. Place the jar and a lid in a large pot and bring it to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and take the jar and lid onto a clean wire rack lined with a kitchen cloth/towel. Pack the jam while it is hot and close the lid tightly immediately.
Creative Ways to Enjoy your Japanese Apple Jam
- Spread it on toasted Japanese milk bread (Shokupan) for a delicious breakfast treat.
- Use it as a filling for pastries or as a topping for pancakes and waffles.
- My favourite way to enjoy Japanese apple jam is to mix it into yogurt or oatmeal for a fruity twist.
- Pair it with cheese and crackers for a delightful appetizer.
- Top it on vanilla ice cream with a bit of cinnamon for a simple and quick dessert.
- Use it as a glaze for pork or chicken to add a sweet and savory flavor.
- Make gluhwein with your apple jam: put 1 cup red wine, 1 tbsp apple jam, 2 slices of ginger and 1 cinnamon stick all in a small saucepan and heat it up.
More Japanese condiment recipes
Yuzu Marmalade
Kumquat Marmalade
Japanese Yuzu Curd
FAQ
A: Yes, ofcourse. Yes of course. You could add allspice, cardamom, cinnamon stick, nutmeg or vanilla bean.
Here is my recipe for Apple Jam and If you liked it, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Japanese Apple Jam 林檎ジャム
Instructions
- Wash and peel the apple.350 g apple
- Peel and core the apple. Retain the peeled apple skin and core to use later.
- Fill water in a large bowl and add a teaspoon of salt. Add the peeled and cored apple as you work. *2
- Remove the apples from the salty water and finely cut them up.
- Place the cut apple into a enamel-coated pot and add the peeled skin and core as well. *3
- Put the sugar over the apples and apple skin and leave it for about 2 hours. The moisture in the apples will be extracted and you will see liquid at the bottom of the pot. *4140 g caster sugar
- Place the pot over medium heat and add the lemon juice.1 tbsp lemon juice
- Bring the apple and apple juice extract to boil. Skim off any scum on the surface with a little sieve.
- Simmer it for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Once the colour of the apple skin comes off in the liquid, remove and discard all apple skin before the liquid gets thickened. *5
- While the jam is hot, ladle the jam into a sterilised jar and close the lid tightly.
- Cool it down at room temperature then refrigerate.
Hello Shihoko
This recipe sounds great.
Could I ask, how many jars of what size did you get from these quantities?
I’d like to know how many jars I would need to sterilize.
Thanks
Hi Clare, I used 580ml weck jars 😀 hope it helps.
Succesfully made this apple jam following the recipe closely. Previously tries to cook apple leaves them ugly brown but not this time. My jam came out almost as pretty as your pictures and I am so thankful for your detailed instructions. I used mine as topping to sweeten ice tea, similar to boba places and it is delicious!
Hi Sabena, I am glad you successfully made this jam 😀
Does anyone know if this can be canned using water bath method, for longer preservation?
You definitely can. But I guess it might change the texture as the water bath will keep cooking the apples? So maybe reduce the cooking time? That’s what I am going to do anyway.
Do i put the apples in the fridge after i added the sugar?
Hi Jia, no you don’t have to.
So good. I made them exactly as the recipe above. Thank you
You are welcome 😀
I’m waiting for a certain variety of apples to become available here in California before I make this recipe. But in the meantime, I thought I’d ask – does one serving really have 727 calories or is that a typo? I can’t wait to make this recipe and when I do, I want to know how much I can eat 🙂
Hi Mel, One serving means this whole jam. I am not sure how many serves in this and people use different amount so I just calculated whole things.