Crab apple jelly
Crab apples are here when the eaters and cookers have mostly fallen from the trees. Here is my mother's recipe for crab apple jelly, excellent with our West Country cheeses along with my other chutneys.
Ingredients
1 pound of sugar to 1 pint of apple juiceMethod
Put the crab apples (whole, not cut up) into a large pan. Add enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil, simmer and stir occasionally until they have become soft.
Remove the mushy crab apples from the heat, once cooled enough to handle then pour into a piece of muslin in a colander and leave to strain overnight into a large bowl. If you are making a large quantity you can use a pillow case! Don’t be tempted to squeeze the bag or the jelly will be cloudy.Measure the strained juice and pour back into the saucepan / preserving pan and heat slowly. Use a ratio of 1 pound of sugar to 1 pint of juice. Stir on a low heat until the sugar dissolves and then bring to the boil.Boil rapidly until setting point is achieved (test by dropping a spoonful of mixture onto a fridge cold saucer, as it cools it should wrinkle on the surface). Pour hot jelly into hot sterile jars and seal immediately.
Remove the mushy crab apples from the heat, once cooled enough to handle then pour into a piece of muslin in a colander and leave to strain overnight into a large bowl. If you are making a large quantity you can use a pillow case! Don’t be tempted to squeeze the bag or the jelly will be cloudy.Measure the strained juice and pour back into the saucepan / preserving pan and heat slowly. Use a ratio of 1 pound of sugar to 1 pint of juice. Stir on a low heat until the sugar dissolves and then bring to the boil.Boil rapidly until setting point is achieved (test by dropping a spoonful of mixture onto a fridge cold saucer, as it cools it should wrinkle on the surface). Pour hot jelly into hot sterile jars and seal immediately.
