Spiced Apple Rings

Ingredients

• 6 cups Sugar
• 1 2/3 cups 5% White Vinegar
• 3 cups Distilled water
• 2-3 per jar Ambrosia, Gala, or Granny Smith BC Tree Fruits Apples
• 1 per jar Cinnamon sticks
• To Taste Star anise, clove, cardamom, allspice berries
• Apple juice to dip apple slices

Directions

1. 1

   Equipment

   • 6 x 24 oz (asparagus style) jars (substitute 250 ml or 500 ml wide mouth jars if necessary)
   • Six 2-piece sealer and ring lids
   • Apple Corer or small cookie cutter
   • Jar lifter
   • Canning rack
   • Enamel canner (or large stockpot) with rack
2. 2

   Heat the brine to a bare simmer, then cover.

3. 3

   Cut a thin slice from top and bottom of each apple. Core the apples and cut 3 or 4 thick, horizontal slices from each apple; dip in apple juice.

4. 4

   Put spice of your choice in the BOTTOM of the jar; be sparing! Stack apples in the jar, allowing room for hot liquid to circulate; insert the cinnamon stick through the centre of the apples. Pour hot liquid over; fill to within 1/8 inch of the top of the jar—barest headspace.*

5. 5

   Gently push down between apple and jar with a spatula or skewer to loosen any air bubbles. Clean jar rim, put hot sealer lid on and hand-tighten ring. Place in canner, bring to full rolling boil for 15 minutes (10 minutes at sea level). Add some cool water to canner; wait 5 minutes and gently remove jars.

6. 6

   *most canning recipes insist on 1/4-1/2 inch headspace. This recipe uses a firm apple and a cold-pack; the apples will release air during the canning process and produce the desired headspace in the finished product. The key is to be very careful in lifting the hot jars from the canner—do not lift immediately after boiling or handle the hot jars roughly.