Apple jam is part of Turkey’s reçel repertoire: the Ministry of Culture’s record of Malatya cooking includes it among the region’s fruit preserves. Recipes differ in their fruit cut, spices and sweetness. This home version uses diced apples, lemon and cloves, cooked in an ordinary saucepan and stored in the refrigerator.
Elma Reçeli — Recipe Card
Chunky apple jam with a gentle clove aroma
Makes 30 servings · About 900 g (32 oz), or 30 small 30 g (1 oz) servings; final yield varies with evaporation.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Elma Reçeli
Prepare fruit and containers
Chill a small plate in the freezer for the texture test. Wash and rinse three small heatproof food-storage containers and their lids, then let them drain. Rinse the apples under running water before peeling and coring; start with about 700 g whole fruit to obtain 500 g prepared apple. Cut into roughly 1–1.5 cm (⅜–⅝ inch) pieces. Discard the cores and seeds.
Soften the apples
Put the diced apples, 240 ml (1 US cup) water and the 2 cloves in a heavy saucepan with plenty of room for bubbling. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring once or twice. A knife tip should enter the edges easily, although the centres may still feel slightly firm.
Cook with the sugar
Stir in the 400 g sugar (2 US cups), keeping the heat low for about 5 minutes until dissolved. Increase the heat to maintain steady, gentle bubbling and cook uncovered for 25–35 minutes. Stir regularly along the bottom, especially as it thickens, and skim off excess foam with a clean spoon. Add the 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice for the final 5 minutes of this cooking time. The pieces should be tender and increasingly translucent, with glossy syrup around them.
Check the texture
Take the pan off the heat. Put a little jam on the chilled plate and return it to the freezer for 1–2 minutes, then tilt the plate. The cooled syrup should move slowly and cling to the fruit. If it runs like water, simmer for another 2–3 minutes and repeat the test. Aim for a soft, spoonable preserve. Remove both cloves before transferring the jam.
Cool, refrigerate and serve
Divide the jam among the clean heatproof containers, leaving a little space at the top. Let the steam subside for about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C (90°F). Chill for at least 2 hours before judging the final texture. Serve a small portion with a clean spoon and return the container to the refrigerator promptly.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-apple-jam-elma-receli. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Apple choice
Choose firm, fragrant apples with a little acidity, such as Braeburn or Pink Lady. The listed weight is after peeling and coring. Very soft apples break down faster; the result will be smoother and may need less cooking.
Texture and batch size
The approximate yield is 900 g; fruit juiciness, pan width and evaporation change it. This version keeps soft fruit pieces in syrup and uses no added pectin. Make separate small batches rather than doubling the pan, which changes the cooking time.
Refrigerator storage
These directions make refrigerator jam. Keep every container chilled, including unopened ones, and use within 14 days of making. Filling a hot jar or turning it upside down does not make this recipe suitable for cupboard storage.
Dietary notes
The listed jam is vegan and gluten-free with vegan-suitable sugar, fresh fruit and juice, water and plain whole cloves. Check the labels on any substituted ingredients. Bread, butter or cheese served alongside is separate and may add gluten or milk.
How to store and reheat Elma Reçeli
Refrigerate covered at 4°C (40°F) or below and use within 14 days of making. Always use a clean spoon and put out only the portion you need. Discard the entire affected container if mould, bubbling, a fermented smell or other spoilage appears; do not scrape mould off. Keep unopened containers refrigerated too.
Elma Reçeli: questions and answers
Will it set like a firm jelly?
This version is a soft, chunky preserve. Its syrup thickens as it chills and should coat the fruit. Use the cold-plate cue rather than cooking until the hot jam is stiff.
Can I leave out the cloves?
Yes. Omit the 2 cloves and keep the remaining quantities and method unchanged for a plain apple-and-lemon jam. The photographed jam has its cloves removed after cooking.
Can I store these jars in a cupboard?
No. This recipe is intended for refrigerator storage and has no validated canning process. For shelf-stable jam, use a separately tested canning recipe and follow its ingredients, jar sizes and processing instructions exactly.
