During a recent visit from the Messy Baker and with Christmas approaching, I decided to teacha festive jelly using new season cranberries,cooking apples and chilli flakes. Cranberries and cooking apples are pectin rich, ideal partners to make a jelly with a gelled consistency, bright colour and full fruit flavour.
Chilli flakes vary in strength, even homemade, as I have discovered when grinding dried chillies; the fumes can be invasive. If you prefer a jelly without the heat, omit the flakes from the recipe. Once made, this jelly is a perfect with roast turkey, cold cuts and as an ingredient in Christmas gravy.
Makes 2.25kg
1kg cranberries ( fresh or frozen)
1kg cooking apples
2-4 teaspoons chilli flakes
1.4 litres water
675g granulated, cane sugar
1 Roughly chop the apples ( don’t peel or discard the cores) and place the fruit in a large preserving pan. Add the cranberries, chilli flakes and water.
2 Bring the pan to the boil, turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer for 25minutes, the fruit should be pulpy. Mash the fruit to make sure it’s all broken down. Pour into a jelly bag suspended over a large bowl. Leave the bag to drip for at least an hour.
3 Measure the juice in the bowl and add 900ml of juice to a large preserving pan.
4 Warm 675g granulated cane sugar and 5 x 225g jars in a pre-heated oven, 120C for 15 minutes.
5 Heat the juice and dissolve the warmed sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil hard until setting point is reached, around 4 minutes. To test for a set, dip a large spoon into the pan and scoop out a spoonful. Lift the spoon above the pan and turn it horizontally. If the jelly has reached setting point of 104.5â ( 220â) it will drip then hang on the side of the spoon.
6 Turn off the heat and remove any scum from the surface with a large metal spoon.
7 Pour the jelly into clean, warm sterilised jars, up to the brim. Remove any stray air bubbles from the surface with a teaspoon.
8 Cover and seal the jars with new twist top lids. Leave the jars upright and undisturbed to set.
Links
My recipe books for other preserves.
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