Apples and Oranges - Caramel Apple and Orange Cardamom - Yum!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.. It's time to fire up the burners and get to canning.

On today's agenda something with apples and oranges, but not in the same pot! I have come up with one new recipe and one recipe that I have changed up again cuz' I just can't get enough of Blood oranges. I wanted to do a jam with the apples and didn't want it to taste like an apple butter. So since I love the infamous caramel apples, homemade or otherwise, why not put that fantastic flavor into a jar. Caramel Apple Jam!

The second recipe was a twist again with the Blood Oranges by infusing green Cardamom pods. I have been watching Aartie's Party on Food Network and I find her chose of spices intriguing. She describes her spices and gives the viewer a better feel for their flavor and one of her favorite ones to cook with is Cardamom. She describes cardamom as flowery and that caught me that a combo with oranges would be fantastic.

Here are the recipes. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Jam

6 cups diced peeled apples (tart and sweet in combo)
1/2 cup water
1 package powdered fruit pectin
2 cups cane sugar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a dutch oven combine the apples and water. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are soft. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Mash or use an immersion blender if there are bits of apple that have not cooked down into the jam. In a bowl while you are waiting for the rolling boil, measure the sugars and spices. Add the measured ingredients (sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg) and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Using your bubble remover or plastic spatula remove any air bubbles and refill to proper headspace. Using a damp papertowel wipe the rims of the glass and then add the hot lids/rings. Tighten the lid "finger tight". Add to water bath pot with a rack on the bottom and process for 10 minutes in a water bath at a full boil.  Makes 5 half pints.

Blood Orange & Cardamom Marmalade

3 lbs Blood Oranges
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup cane sugar
10-15 Cardamom pods

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind and slice thinly and add to stainless steel pot or dutch oven. Add the water.

In a small fry pan heat to high and when hot add the cardamom pods roasting them for about three minutes swirling the pan to toss the pods so they don't burn. Remove from heat.

While waiting for the pods to cool a bit, continue slicing the blood oranges by cutting away the white pith of the orange and dicing the meat of the orange into small pieces.  Set aside the diced orange.

Take the cardamom pods and break them open and put them in a tea ball. I used the side of the knife and crushed the pods with a small tap just like you would to de-peel a clove of garlic. Close the tea ball and put into the dutch oven with the rind and
water. Turn up the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The cardamom flavor will be infused into the rind water. Stir occasionally.

Add the diced oranges and sugar. Do not remove the tea ball. Bring the flame up to medium again and cook for about 20 minute till the mixtures is boiling. Use your candy thermometer to get the recipe to 220 degrees or use the gel point plate trick (see gel point in the label section) to get the recipe to the desired consistency. Remove tea ball just before you ladle the recipe into jars.

Sterilize 3 half pint jars and ladle into jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Clean the rims, add the lid and rings, and waterbath for 10 minutes.