Granny Smith Preserves

Prepare jars and lids as you normally do with a water-bath canner. Have lids and caps simmering just lightly in a pot of hot water. Have canner full of water and ready for processing.

Mix the apples, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large stock pot, stirring constantly over medium heat.

Once all the sugar has melted down, add in the box of pectin, continuing to stir constantly. As it bubbles and reduces down, test it to see if it begins to gel.

After about 30 minutes, the apples should be very, very soft and should begin to gel and look the color of light brown sugar.

Using a funnel, ladle the mixture into prepared (clean, hot) jelly jars. Leave about 1/4 inch head space. Wipe any excess off the top with a very clean dish towel and use a magnetic wand to get a hot, clean cap and lid.

Screw on the lids nice and snug. Fill and cap all the jars, and place them gently into the water-bath canner.

Bring the water to a boil, put the lid on the canner, and process for 10 minutes. If your canner is like mine, then you probably will have to do 2 runs, 6 jars at a time.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the burner.
Remove the hot jars gently with a jar lifter, being careful not to disturb the preserves inside, and cover the hot jars with a clean dish towel.

Allow them to sit undisturbed over night to give them time to seal. Refrigerate any jar that doesn’t seal.

These preserves are delicious on homemade biscuits!
Yields 12 half-pints.