BLACK PEPPER-ROSEMARY APPLES

Dress up a simple pork roast with these savory herbed apples.

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PREP: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES PROCESS: 20 MINUTES MAKES: 6 PINTS PHOTO

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• 1 lemon, halved
• 7 pounds Fuji, Braeburn, or Jonagold apples
• 4 cups water
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 4-ounce red onion, cut into thin wedges (about 1 cup)

1. Fill two large bowls half full with cold water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon half into each bowl of water. Peel, core, and cut the apples into ¾-inch wedges, placing wedges in the lemon-water as you slice them to prevent browning.

2. For syrup, in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot combine the 4 cups water, sugar, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Drain apples; add apples and onion wedges to syrup in pot. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Using a slotted spoon, pack the hot apples and onion into hot sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over apples and onion, maintaining the ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.

4. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

PER ¼ CUP: 56 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 27 mg sodium, 15 g carb., 2 g fiber, 0 g pro.