Step 1

Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse and place on a baking tray. Put them in the oven to dry and sterilise.

Step 2

Put the sugar, apple juice, star anise, cinnamon stick and chilli flakes into a large saucepan over a high heat. Let the mixture boil for 10 minutes, stirring until it thickens and becomes golden.

Step 3

Peel, core and dice the apples, Squeezing the juice of the lemon all over them to prevent them browning too much. Add the apples to the browned syrup and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the whole spices and add the rum if you want to. You can make sure the jam is ready by spooning a little onto a fridge cold plate, if it starts setting up then you’re good to go!

Step 4

Pour the jam into the jars while it’s still very hot, be careful to keep the rim clean to get a seal. Carefully screw on the lids and tip the jars upside down for a minute to form a seal. Store the jars upright in the fridge. Makes 4 jars