It was my first attempt at jellymaking , so I wanted to try it the old fashioned way by using only whole apples (with naturally occurring pectin) and sugar. Green Mitsu and a few red Cortlands gave the finished jelly a lovely blush, and helped use up a few apples that were hit by a freaky, devastating hail in Waupoos late summer.
Not peeling or coring the apples before chopping them finely in a food processor was efficient and easy.
A clean cotton pillowcase for straining the cooked apple and sage mixture.
One very steamy kitchen, between boiling the strained juices with the sugar, and sterilizing jars.
Cooling the jelly slightly in the jars, made suspending a fresh sage leaf possible before sealing…proven by the jars I was too impatient to cool having sage leaves that floated!. Verdict: I’ll use this jelly with savoury things or on scones with butter, it’s just that good.
Apple and Sage Jelly from
Letts Country Cottage Collection
8 medium green apples
2 medium red apples
40 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2/3 cup lemon juice
sugar
1.Wash and dry fruit. Finely chop fruit and coarsely chop sage leaves.
2.Combine fruit, including cores and seeds, leaves (?!) and rind in a large saucepan or boiler.Cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 2 hour or until fruit is soft and pulpy.
3.Strain fruit through a muslin bag suspened over a bowl for 3 hours.Measure juice and return to saucepan.Add lemon juice and heat to boiling.Add 3/4 cup sugar per cup of juice.Return to the boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly for 45 minutes or until setting point.
4.Remove jelly from heat and stand 5 minutes. Pour into warm, sterilized jars. Allow to cool completely. (When almost set, sage leaves may be suspended in the jelly using a clean bamboo skewer). Seal jars. When cool, label and date.
I think that cooling completely before sealing must refer to when you seal with wax. I used a hot water process, so cooled jars might have cracked (which would have been a shame after all that work!!), so I sealed them while hot.
