Apple jelly

I wanted to use up the last of the apples I’d been given, and I thought an apple jelly would be a good alternative to jam, or chutney.

I need a couple of days to make it, and finally I found the time. I started off by cutting up the apples, but leaving the skins on. In fact you can also leave the cores in. The skins can hold quite a bit of pectin, so I wanted this included. I then placed the chunks into a large saucepan, I had about 2kg of apples, then I added 1.25 litres of water, gradually bringing to the boil. As they cooked, I started mashing them, just using a potato masher. Once they were all mushy, I set them up to strain through some muslin. It takes a few hours to strain properly, so I left them in the muslin, covered, to do their thing overnight.

In the morning, I threw away the dry pulp and poured the juice into a thick bottomed saucepan. I added a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 600 grams of sugar, I also added a couple of stems of rosemary, to give it a savoury taste.

I then brought it steadily up to a jam boil, about 105°c. I used the usual setting test, of placing a spoonful on a saucer that has been in the freezer. If it sets, it’s done.

This quantity makes about 3 jars. Great to serve with pork, or cheese, or to glaze the top of a tart, or of course on toast. I’m looking forward to trying it with some roast pork.