If you have an abundant supply of fresh apples, there are a wide variety of dishes you can prepare with it. One of the best ways to preserve the bounty is to make a few jars of apple jelly which you can use later when you crave for apple. Apple jelly is a very popular breakfast item and differs from apple jam which is made using the pieces of fruit, usually pulped. Apple jelly on the other hand is made by using the juice of the fruit and preserves pretty well in the refrigerator. Even though preparing apple jelly is a long process, the ultimate end result is absolutely worth the effort. You can easily do the task on your own. Read on to learn how to make for yourself a few pots of delicious apple jelly.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 50 to 60 minutes
Resources Required:
- 6 pounds of apples
- 1.5 litres water
- 4.4 pounds preserving sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- 25g of butter
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring jug
- Scales
- Muslin strainer
- Muslin stand
- A bowl big enough to hold 2 litres
- Funnel
- Small plate
- Thermometer (optional)
- Storing jars
Instructions:
1. Preparing the fruit
- Wash the apples thoroughly under running water and and remove any stickers and dirt.
- You can choose to peel and core the apple if desired at this point or you can leave it on as it would all be separated when you strain it ultimately. But make sure you cut the stem and remove any leaves from the apples.
- Cut the apple into quarters and place them in a large pot.
- Add the water to the pot and cook on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Then turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Mash the apples with a wooden spoon or masher lightly and then continue to simmer for a further 5 more minutes.
- Set up the muslin cloth and stand over a large bowl and once the apples reach the pulpy consistency, remove from heat and spoon them along with the water through the cloth. Leave them to drip overnight.
2. Making the jelly
- After you have left the apple pulp to drip overnight, by morning you should have at least 2 litres of apple juice collected in the bowl.
- Measure out how much liquid you have, using the measuring cup and add 2.2 pounds of sugar for every liter of apple juice.
- Return this juice and sugar, mix into the pan and on medium heat, slowly bring the mix to a boil. Keep stirring continuously till the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Once all the sugar has melted into the mixture, increase the heat and bring it to a rapid boil for about 10 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and butter to disperse the scum that has formed on top.
- Continue boiling for 5 more minutes and then test consistency by spooning a bit of the mix on to a cold plate, cool it and push it across the plate with your fingers. If it crinkles like jelly then it means you can transfer them to jars. On the other hand, if you have a thermometer then this step is fairly easy. Insert it into the pan with the mix and if it shows 105C then you are good to go.
3. Storing
- Get the sterilized jars ready and gently spoon the jelly into the jars using a funnel, leaving at least a quarter of an inch free on top.
- Place a lid on the jars using tongs and then the ring on the jar.
- Once cool, remove the rings and store away.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I sterilise the jelly jars?
It is important to sterilise the jars to prevent the jelly from going bad. Firstly, wash the jars and rings in some very hot, soapy water. Then, into a saucepan add enough water and submerge the lids. Simmer for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and dry. Into a larger pot, pour some water and fit as many jelly jars as you can into the pan. Let them boil for about 10 minutes. Once done, remove them with tongs and keep them aside on a pad.
Quick Tips:
1. Fresh and ripe apples will give you the best results for apple jelly.
2. Carefully watch the apples while boiling, as overcooking can hamper the taste of the jelly.
3. You can add any flavoring of your choice to spice up the jelly a bit, cinnamon for example.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Apple jelly could be spoilt with the smallest of bacteria or organisms, so make sure to work in a completely sterilised environments. Wash hand thoroughly before handling the jelly.
- While transferring the apple pulp into the muslin cloth, be careful as everything is very hot and you could burn your hands even from a drop of the pulp.
