Spiced Apple Rings

by **gina68gt** Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:47 pm

Spiced Apple Rings
Ingredients:
6 lbs firm tart apples/such as granny smiths (max.diameter 2-1/2 inches - approx 12 apples)
6 cups sugar
3 cups water
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs white vinegar (5% acidity)
1-1/2 Tbs whole cloves, in cheese cloth or tea ball
1/3 cup red hot cinnamon candies (or 4 cinnamon sticks)
1/2+ tsp red food coloring (optional, they do make organic)
Fruit Fresh *optional, to prevent darkening

Yield: About 5 to 6 pints

Procedure: Wash apples. To prevent discoloration, peel and slice one apple at a time. Immediately cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, remove core area with a melon baller and immerse in ascorbic acid solution such as Fruit Fresh. (I used my apple peeler to peel/core/slice) To make flavored syrup, combine sugar water, vinegar, cloves (placed in cheesecloth or a tea ball), cinnamon candies, or cinnamon sticks and food coloring in a 6-qt saucepan/pot. Stir, heat to boil, and simmer 3 minutes.
Drain apples, add to hot syrup, and cook 5 minutes. Fill jars (preferably wide-mouth) with apple rings and hot flavored syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air from jars and adjust headspace once again, wipe rims well before applying lids. Process in a Boiling Waterbath Canner for 10 minutes or according to your local altitude/regulations.
Once timing is up on canner, let the jars set in your canner with burner off and lid removed for an extra 5-10 mins to help prevent against siphoning, carefully remove jars from canner and let cool in a draft free area for 12-24 hours before washing, labeling and storing sealed jars. Any jars that are unsealed need to be refrigerated and eaten first.