Earlier this month one of my new FB friends, Maria, who actively participates on my SB Canning page challenged me to come up with a jam that had the flavor that she loved during the holidays. That flavor was gingerbread. Now being a long time lover of making gingerbread houses, gingerbread cookies, and gingerbread pumpkin bread I instantly had an idea of the ingredients needed and took that challenge. I did a small batch and presented it for her to try. I thought the flavors were, as they say spot on, and on a scale of simple to complex, this was easy even for the beginner.

Maria then went into action and create her version which has many layers of flavor and the amount of different ingredients and spices gave hers a very gourmet feel and flavor. A bit more complex for a beginning canner, but at our canning group today the verdict was in.

I wanted to make sure that I didn’t cloud the group by telling them about the challenge but had them do Maria’s recipe as part of their extravaganza today. Once the recipe was complete I pulled out the jar I had of my recipe for them to try. They thought they were tasting what the end result would be that was in the pot, so I had to explain.

Here are the two recipes, mine now converted to a full batch, for you to try and decide for yourself. I don’t want to cloud your judgement by telling you which they liked best. If you get a chance to make both, please comment below on which you like! Enjoy!

Gingerbread Jam Gingerbread Jam (SB Canning version) Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 10 mins Course Dessert Cuisine American Servings 30 Ingredients 6 cups apples, peeled and chopped (Sweet apples not tart!)

4 T. crystallized ginger, minced

1 cup molasses, original (not unsulfured)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 t. ground ginger

2 T. bottled lemon juice Instructions Cook down apples for 20 minutes in a stainless steel pot till soft adding 1/2 cup water(or apple juice) so the apples don't burn.

Add all the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook, mashing the apples, and creating a smooth consistency. You can use an immersion blender to get the texture you want.

Ladle the recipe into a 5 sterilize half pint jar leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air, wipe rims, and add hot lids/rings. Water bath for 10 minutes once the water has come back to a full boil. Keyword Gingerbread Jam