Christmas Compote Jam

Directions

Measuring out the correct amount of ground cloves and star anise is relatively tricky, which is why I recommend instead using whole spices - besides, they look nice in the jars!

Day 1 - For the quince juice:

Remove the downy covering from the quinces and quarter them, removing the stem end and the rest of the flower.

Put into the jam pan, unpeeled and with their seeds, cover with water and boil over low to medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the fruit is tender.

Put into a strainer set over a bowl and let the juice run freely for several hours, set the juice aside in a cool place until the next day.

For the candied orange:

Scrub the oranges under cool water and cut them into 3 to 4 mm (⅛") thick slices, then cut the slices into small cubes.

Put the oranges into a pan, add the orange juice and sugar and cook, watching constantly, until the liquid has completely evaporated.

At this stage, the little cubes of orange will be translucent.

This preparation can be made several days in advance and can be used for any citrus fruit.

Day 2 - Basic preparation:

Remove the stem ends from the figs (they should be soft like the other dried fruits) and cut them into 4 or 6 pieces, do the same with the apricots, pit the dates and cut them into quarters as well.

Peel and core the apples.

Measure out 1½ litres (6 cups) of the quince juice, being careful to leave any sediment at the bottom of the bowl.

Pour this juice into the jam pan with the apples, bring them to a boil and cook just for 2 minutes; lower the heat to minimum, remove the apples with a slotted spoon and put them through a food mill (using the large hole plate).

Return the apple purée to the jam pan, add all the other ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer.

After 1 minute, pour the mixture into a bowl and set it aside in a cool place, covered with a piece of parchment paper, until the next day.

Day 3 - Finishing

Transfer the mixture from the bowl back into the jam pan and gently bring to a boil, continue cooking at a simmer for another 5 minutes.

Skim if necessary, check the thickness (even though this jam is guaranteed to set) and while still boiling hot pack the jam into hot sterilized jars.

Seal immediately.