How To Make Crabapple Jelly Food

CRAB APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Wash the crab apples and cut in half, cutting off any bruises. Place in a large pan and add water to cover ¾ of the fruit. Bring to the boil. Then put the lid on the pan and gently simmer for about 40 minutes until the fruit has turned to a pulp.
• Hang a jelly bag or cloth securely from a stand, with a large bowl underneath the bag. Using a jug, pour the fruit pulp and liquid into the bag and leave to strain for 12 hours. Do not poke, prod or push the pulp to speed the straining, as this will make the finished jelly cloudy.
• Put your jam jars and lids in the oven heated to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 to warm and sterilize them. If using the wrinkle test for setting, place a plate in the freezer.
• Weigh the strained juice and add an equal weight of sugar.
• Gently simmer in a large pan to dissolve the sugar. As the juice simmers, foam and scum will rise to the surface. Skim this off with a slotted spoon to remove impurities and keep the jelly clear. Keep a large bowl of cold water next to the hob to rinse the spoon off.
• Turn up the the heat When the liquid has reached a rolling boil, start testing for the set by one of these three methods.
• The wrinkle method. Chill a plate in the freezer. Spoon a teaspoon of the boiling jelly onto the plate and let it cool; this will only take a few seconds. Push your finger through the jelly and look for it to wrinkle ahead of your finger.
• Temperature. Use a jam thermometer to test for when the jam reaches 105°C.
• The flake test. Test the jelly by taking a spoonful of jelly - a long-handled metal spoon is best. Tip up the spoon to pour the jelly back into the pan, and watch the behaviour of the last few drops. When the last drops hang off the spoon in a flake, the jelly has reached its setting point.
• Once setting point is reached, remove the jelly from the heat and take the warm jars and lids from the oven. Give the jelly one last skim to remove the foam and scum.
• Let the jelly stand for a few minutes. Then pour the jelly into the jars, quickly skim each jar using a tea spoon and seal down with the dry lids while still hot.
• As the jars cool, each lid will pop to show that they're sealed properly - I always find this most satisfying to hear as I enjoy my tea and first taste!

HOW TO MAKE CRAB APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Pick the crab apples. Crab apples aren't normally available commercially, so you'll probably have to find a crab apple tree and pick them yourself. However, don't hesitate to try the local farmer's market as someone might be selling them or can get some for you.
• Wash the crab apples. Remove the stalks and cut off the bottom and any bad parts.
• Put the crab apples in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately half an hour.
• Strain the pulp. Crab apple jelly is normally strained through muslin, which results in a clear jelly, but if you don't have any and don't mind the jelly being cloudy, you can use a fine sieve. If straining through muslin you will need to leave the pulp to strain in its own time (if in doubt, leave it overnight), as squeezing it to speed up the process will result in a cloudy jelly.
• Measure the juice and add the sugar. You will need approximately 7 parts sugar to 10 parts juice.
• Squeeze the lemon and add to the juice and sugar.
• Boil the jelly. Skim off any white froth that forms on the surface - this is the stuff that makes the jelly cloudy - so the more you can get rid of, the clearer your jelly will be. Once the jelly starts the thicken, test it every couple of minutes on the back of a cold spoon. If it sets, it's ready. If you have a thermometer, the jelly should set at around 105ºC, 221ºF.
• Pour into sterilised jars and seal. Tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool, dark and dry place.

MARY WYNNE'S CRABAPPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Remove stems and blossom ends from crabapples, and cut into quarters. Place them in a large stainless steel or other non-reactive pot or saucepan. Add enough water to be able to see, but no so much that the crabapples are floating. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The apples should soften and change color.
• Strain the apples and juice through 2 or 3 layers of cheese cloth. You should have at least 4 cups of juice. Discard pulp, and pour the juice back into the pan. Bring to a simmer, and let cook for 10 minutes. Skim off any foam that comes to the top. Next, stir in the sugar until completely dissolved. Continue cooking at a low boil until the temperature reaches 220 to 222 degrees F (108 to 110 C). Remove from heat.
• Pour the jelly into sterile small decorative jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a hot water bath to seal.

CRAB APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Wash the crab apples. Remove the stalks and cut off the bottom and any bad parts.
• Put the crab apples in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately half an hour.
• Strain the pulp. Crab apple jelly is normally strained through muslin, which results in a clear jelly and leave it overnight.
• Measure the juice and add the sugar. To every 4 cups of juice add 3 cups of sugar. Squeeze the lemon and add to the juice and sugar. Boil the jelly. Skim off any white froth that forms on the surface - this is the stuff that makes the jelly cloudy - so the more you can get rid of, the clearer your jelly will be.
• Once the jelly starts the thicken, test it every couple of minutes on the back of a cold spoon. If it sets, it's ready. Pour into sterilised jars and seal.
• Tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool, dark and dry place.
• 250g or 8.oz will make approximately 200ml, 6.7 fl oz of jelly).