600 grams zucchini
600 grams sweet eating apples
400 grams sugar
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
150 ml fresh lemon juice
100 ml water
few drops of yellow food colouring (optional)
Preparation
Peel and clean the zucchini and grate them directly in the pot you are going to cook your jam in. Peel and grate the apples over the zucchini, add the lemon zest and stir well. Pour in the fresh lemon juice and water, mix and put the pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, so everything softens up, and the liquid starts cooking off. After 15 minutes of cooking, tip in the sugar, mix it in well, bring to a boil again and let it boil, mixing more frequently now, for another 25-30 minutes, or until the jam has reached 105ºC (220ºF), and has set.
You can also test to see if the jam is set and ready by placing a small amount of it on a chilled plate. Wait for it to cool down, then slightly tilt the plate. If it doesn’t move, or it slides very slowly, it should be done. You can gently touch the surface, too – it should slightly wrinkle. At this point, you have the option to completely purée the jam, to make it smooth, or you can leave it with bits of fruit. After 25-30 minutes, remove from heat and add the food colouring (if using). Let it stand for 10-15 minutes, then fill the sterilised jars (I got two 450 ml jars of jam). Let the jam cool down at room temperature over night, then put it in the refrigerator in the morning.
