Apple Pumpkin Jam (Small Batch Fridge Jam)

This apple pumpkin jam cooks butternut squash and tart apples down with lemon, vanilla and cinnamon until you have a thick, bright orange spread. It is a small batch fridge jam, so you need a saucepan, an immersion blender and a few clean jars, and nothing else. If you like fall flavors on your toast but have no interest in a canning setup, this one is for you.

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What goes into apple pumpkin jam

• 1 1/4 lb butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut in 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 lb tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup apple cider or water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Pick the right squash before you start

The recipe works with butternut squash or a sugar pumpkin, but butternut gives the smoothest, brightest jam. Its flesh is dense and fine, so it blends into a glossy puree with no threads. Skip the big carving pumpkins. They are watery and stringy, and those strings survive the blender and end up in your spread.

Cutting the squash into 1/2 inch cubes matters more than it looks. Small, even pieces soften at the same rate as the apples, so after about 20 minutes everything in the pot is very tender at once. Big chunks leave hard bits that the blender has to fight, and the finished texture turns grainy.

Why the sugar waits until after blending

You simmer the squash and apples in cider and lemon juice first, covered, with no sugar. The lid keeps the steam in so the fruit softens fast without the liquid boiling away. Once it is blended smooth, the sugar goes in and the pot stays uncovered so the extra moisture can cook off. That second stage is where the puree turns into jam.

Expect it to spatter. A thick puree bubbles in big, slow pops that can jump out of the pan, which is why the recipe tells you to stir often and keep the pot partly covered. A long handled spoon helps. Stirring also keeps the sugar from catching on the bottom, where thick spreads like this scorch first.

How to make it

• Put the squash, apples, cider and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until both the squash and apples are very tender.
• Blend the mixture smooth with an immersion blender right in the pan.
• Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook uncovered over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often and partly covering the pan because it spatters, until the jam is thick enough to mound on a spoon.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the jam cool for 20 minutes, then spoon it into clean jars.
• Chill for about 2 hours. Store in the fridge up to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months in freezer safe jars with 1/2 inch headspace.

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Knowing when it is thick enough

There is no thermometer target here. The test is simple: scoop some up and see whether it sits in a soft mound on the spoon instead of running flat. If it still slides off, give it a few more minutes and check again. The vanilla goes in after the heat is off so its flavor stays clear instead of cooking away.

Keep in mind that the jam firms up as it cools and chills. If you push it much past the mounding stage on the stove, it can set stiffer than you want once it comes out of the fridge.

Keeping it in the fridge or freezer

This is a fridge jam, full stop. Pumpkin and squash spreads are too dense and too low in acid for safe home canning, so do not run these jars through a water bath and do not keep them in the pantry. After the 2 hour chill, the jars go in the refrigerator, where the jam keeps up to 3 weeks.

For longer storage, freeze it. Use freezer safe jars and leave 1/2 inch of headspace at the top so the jam has room to expand. Frozen, it keeps up to 6 months. A batch makes about 3 half pints, which is a handy amount to split between one jar for now and two for later.

Spread it on toast, biscuits or anything you would put apple butter on. The cinnamon and lemon keep it from tasting flat, and the tart apples cut through the sweetness of the squash.

If you are filling the fridge with fall jars, our autumn jam with apple, pear and cranberry sits nicely next to this one. For a little heat, try the apple cinnamon jalapeno jelly or the cranberry apple jalapeno jelly , and the cranberry pineapple ginger jam brings a sharper, gingery side.

Apple pumpkin jam FAQ

Can I use water instead of apple cider?

Yes. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup apple cider or water. Cider adds more apple flavor, while water lets the squash and cinnamon come through a bit more.

Does this jam need pectin?

No. There is no pectin in the recipe. The jam thickens from the blended squash and apples cooking down with the sugar until it mounds on a spoon.

Can I use a sugar pumpkin instead of butternut squash?

Yes, a sugar pumpkin works in the same amount. Butternut gives the smoothest, brightest result, and carving pumpkins should be avoided because they are stringy.

Why is it so important to keep it out of the pantry?

Squash and pumpkin spreads are too dense and low in acid for safe home canning. That is why this jam is only kept in the fridge or freezer.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us