THIS CONSERVE WAS ORIGINALLY INSPIRED BY charoses, a customary element of the Passover meal. No Passover Seder is complete without this salad of apples and walnuts, bound by honey and a splash of red wine. This version takes those traditional elements and translates them into a satisfying, not-too-sweet spread. What’s more, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it. Try it with roasted meat or a side of runny cheese.
8 cups peeled and chopped apples (about 4 pounds/1.8 kg apples; see note, page 000)
1½ cups/360 ml 100-percent grape juice (no sugar added)
1 cup/240 ml honey
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup/70 g almonds, toasted and chopped
Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the apples and grape juice in a large, nonreactive pot. Cook over high heat for about 15 minutes, until the apples are tender and the liquid has reduced. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, blend or mash about two-thirds of the apples. Leave the remaining third in chunks to give the finished conserve some texture.
Add the honey and sugar and continue to cook on high heat until it reaches 220°F/105°C, about 10 to15 minutes. This is a splattery recipe, so make sure to take care while cooking that you don’t burn yourself. A mesh splatter screen is useful here.
When the conserve has reached 220°F/105°C, remove the pot from the heat and add the cinnamon and nuts. Stir to combine.
Ladle the conserve into the prepared jars, leaving a generous ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).