Apple and sloe mulled wine jam

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 2 ½ kg apples
• 2 kg sloes
• 2 bananas
• ¾ liter of mulled wine or red wine
• n. B. gelling sugar, I use 1:1
• 2 packets of vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• e.g. lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

Perfect for grey autumn/winter days

Sloes must have experienced the first frost or, alternatively, be frozen for at least 1 day. Core the apples, cut them into pieces, and place them in a large pot. Add approximately 1/2 liter of water and boil. The mixture should not fill more than half the pot, as there won’t be enough room. Add the sloes (if frozen, let them thaw) to the pot and boil with the bananas (the bananas are for consistency). If the mixture is too dry, add a little more water—not too much, as you don’t want it to become runny. Add a pinch of salt, a little lemon juice if needed, the vanilla sugar, and the mulled wine (mulled wine is for those who prefer it a little sweeter, red wine a little more tart). Be careful, the mixture tends to bubble—danger of burning! Remove the pot from the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve (the seeds and skins remain in the sieve). If you want to make jelly, place the mixture in a linen bag to drain. Discard any seeds/skins, etc. Straining through a sieve is quite time-consuming, but results in a creamier jam. Heat the jam/juice again and, depending on the final quantity, add gelling sugar. The mixture will now be more liquid and easier to handle. You can use a little less sugar for the jam, otherwise it will be too solid. I use a 1:1 gelling sugar ratio, but you can also use 2:1 or 3:1. Adjust the quantities according to the package instructions. While the mixture is boiling gently (according to the instructions on the gelling sugar package), remove the foam with a spoon – it’s not much, but it doesn’t belong in the jar. Then pour into hot, rinsed jars with twist-off lids, close them, and turn upside down. After 5-10 minutes, turn the jars the right way up again. Approx. 53 kcal per 20 g portion.