Appletonic

Wash, peel, core, and roughly chop approximately 1.5 kg of fresh apples, placing them immediately into a large heavy-bottomed pot with a splash of water to prevent browning.

Add the juice of one lemon to the pot and cook the apples over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and beginning to break down.

Pass the cooked apple mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill to achieve a smooth, uniform puree, discarding any remaining fibrous solids.

Return the apple puree to the pot, add granulated sugar at a ratio of approximately 700g sugar per 1 kg of puree, and stir thoroughly over low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Increase the heat to a steady boil and cook the mixture, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until it reaches the setting point of 105°C (221°F) as measured by a candy thermometer.

Perform a wrinkle test by placing a small amount of the preserve on a chilled plate; if it wrinkles when pushed with a finger, the preserve is ready to be removed from the heat.

Skim off any foam from the surface, then carefully ladle the hot preserve into sterilized glass jars, leaving a 5mm headspace, and seal immediately with sterilized lids.

Process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to ensure a proper seal, then remove and allow them to cool completely at room temperature before labeling and storing.