Apple marmalade: sweets at home

1. Wash the apples and cut into thin slices, removing the seed box.

2. Place the apple slices in the multicooker bowl. Add 1-2 tbsp. water. Turn on the "Extinguishing" mode and cook apples until the end of the program (1 hour).

3. Grind the apples to a smooth puree. I transfer the apple slices to another container and grind with an immersion blender. If you wish, you can additionally wipe the resulting puree through a sieve - the consistency will turn out to be even smoother and more uniform.

4. Put the applesauce back into the multicooker bowl. Add spices to taste. I add ground cinnamon.

5. Turn on the "Extinguishing" mode and again wait for the end of the program (another 1 hour). At this stage, some of the moisture will evaporate, and the apple mass will become thicker. The photo shows that a thin film has formed on the surface and along the edges.

6. Add sugar and lemon juice to taste and mix thoroughly. From this point on, the marmalade needs to be stirred occasionally, but much less often than if you were cooking the marmalade in a saucepan. I look into the slow cooker every 30-40 minutes, mix and monitor the consistency.

7. Cook apple marmalade for another 1.5–2 hours in the “stewing” mode until the mass thickens. You can check the readiness of marmalade like this: drop a drop of marmalade on a saucer, cool for a few minutes and run the edge of a spoon in the center of the drop. If the drop holds its shape, and the trace remains clean and does not drag on, it's done!

8. Grease a baking sheet or form with a small amount of vegetable oil and line with baking paper. Lightly oil the surface of the paper as well. Pour the marmalade into the form, smooth and leave for the final cooling and solidification.

9. Under natural conditions, apple marmalade can dry from 3–4 to 10 days (the exact timing depends on temperature, marmalade thickness and ambient humidity).

10. Of course, you can cheat and significantly speed up this process. You can add gelatin or agar-agar - marmalade will be ready in a few hours. You can dry the marmalade in the oven - at a minimum temperature, with the door slightly open, for several hours.

11. I usually prefer the jelly version - both quickly and I like this texture the most. This time I tried to go natural. Without tricks and drying in the oven, at a temperature of about 19-21 degrees, my apple marmalade was ready in 8 days.

12. Cut the frozen marmalade into portions. You can use cookie cutters or just cut marmalade into cubes. If desired, roll marmalade pieces in granulated sugar.

Homemade apple marmalade is ready! Bon appetit!