Earl Grey Tea Jelly Food

EARL GREY ICED TEA

Steps:

• For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes.
• For the tea: In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tea bags and lemon slices. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Remove the tea bags and discard.
• Pour the syrup and tea mixture into an ice-filled pitcher. Pour into glasses and add a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

BASIC TEA JELLY

Steps:

• (If not including juice and using a tea infusion as your only liquid, increase the amount of water to 2 cups.).
• Bring water to boil, add tea bags and steep for 30 minutes.
• Discard tea bags. Add sugar (and optional juice) to brewed tea and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 2 minute stirring.
• Remove from heat and add pectin, return to boil and allow to do so for 1 minute.
• Skim off any foam.
• Pour hot jelly into jars and process for 20 minutes.

APPLE EARL GREY ALMOND JELLY

Steps:

• Wash the apples and cut them into chunks (no need to peel or core them), then put them in your heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot along with half of the tea, wrapped in cheesecloth.
• Cover with water and simmer until the apples are tender, mashing them up to extract as much juice and flavor as possible.
• Strain the pulp through a jelly bag or cheesecloth, letting it drip for several hours or overnight.
• Measure 4 cups of juice into the clean cooking pot.
• Add the sugar and the rest of the tea, again, wrapped in cheesecloth.
• Simmer until the sugar dissolves and then bring the liquid to a boil and cook until the setting point is reached. (It sounds so easy!).
• Remove the mixture from the heat and discard the bag of tea.
• Skim any foam and allow the jelly to stand for a few minutes before stirring in the almonds and almond extract. (I found that if you don't let it sit -- and if you don't have a proper set -- the almonds will sit right on top of the jelly rather than sinking into the mix and looking all pretty.)
• Ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars.
• I left 1/4 inch head space and processed in a water bath canner for ten minutes.