Put the apples, cider, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger and cloves in a pan, and pour over 750ml water. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook for about 30 mins, or until the apples have softened and the liquid has reduced by about half.

Carefully remove the cinnamon sticks, star anise, ginger and cloves from the pan, then strain the apples through a sieve set over the pan or a heatproof bowl, reserving the liquid. Press the apple flesh through the sieve until just have the skins and cores remain. Discard these, and pour the liquid and pulp back into the pan if you're using a bowl. Stir in the sugars and 1/2 tsp salt (if you’ve used apple juice, you may need to use less sugar so it’s not too sweet).

Cook the mixture over a low heat for about 2 hrs 30 mins, stirring frequently until it has darkened in colour and is jam-like in texture. Be careful, as it can spit and will be hot. Decant into sterilised jars and seal. Will keep chilled for up to two weeks, unopened.