Waking up to a great week
If at some time in your life you ever wake up and know that you are going to have a great week, well let me congratulate you. This wonderful thing happened me on Monday, apart from my job, i made plans on what i was going to do for the rest of the week and amongst them was to learn a new thing. I learnt how to make Apple Jelly. I know nearly every tom, dick and harry know how to do this but i didnt. So i got together with a friend of mine set out to do this. We made the most wonderful jam going. My mother used to make it every Summer but like most people i put it on the long finger and by the time i was ready to learn my Mum wasnt there anymore. So i have learnt one thing from this. Dont put till tomorrow what you can do today!
Wednesday morning started off beautiful. Made bread, buns, ginger and treacle cakes. Enough to feed an army. Most of it is in the deep freeze.
Thursday at 8.15 am saw me in the orchard. Now this task by any means is easy. Two weeks ago i asked one of my sons to strim the grass under the trees and around the orchard, this he did. Yesterday i went with bucked and a long stick with a little crook on the end like a cane to reach the higher branches. When i got to the garden i got over excited with the abundance of apples of several different varietys that i was picking and not watching where i was going. I must have had half a bucked by the time i realised where i was, i was ankle deep in a lovely big patch of nettles.... oh my God did they take their vengance out on me. I was wearing sandles no socks. But that didnt stop me i still got my apples and i am presently the owner of 20 lovely jars of Apple jelly. Tomorrow i am going to make crab apple jelly. This is a little more tart.
The recipe for apple jelly is really easy.
For every lb of apples allow a pint of water.
You can add a few whole cloves
Add a stick of cinnamon if you like,
Bring to the boil and simmer for at least an hour on low.
Have a place ready to hang your jellybag up, a broom handle between two kitchen chair seats will do. Have it high enough for the jelly to drip into the bowl/container
Place a jellybag or a white pillowcase or a square of sheeting (all clean of course) over a large bowl or container previously scalded.
Pour the apple mush into this. DO NOT MASH IT DOWN.
Bring it over to the broom handle and put it directly underneath it, you can adjust it later.
Draw all the sides of bag up and tie it to the centre of the handle. Use clothes pegs to secure the flaps if you think it may slip.
The juice should run into the centre of the bowl. Leave for 6/8 hours or overnight.
DO NOT SQUEEZE THE BAG or the jelly will be cloudy.
Compost the contents of the bag afterwards. To make the Jelly, Have your jampots sterilised and ready.
Have a large clean saucepan ready, a woodenspoon, a sterilised jug and funnel. Measure in the juice and for every 1 pint (568ml) use 1 lb (454g) of sugar,
Melt the sugar by continual stirring and bring to the boil, turn down the heat a bit, you need to keep it on a rolling boil and do not stir (it breaks up the scum and it is hard to collect then). Test to see if it is setting by putting a little on a saucer and putting it in the fridge for a few minutes-( keep the jelly cooking). It should have a skin on it when you take it out of the fridge. It will also start setting on your wooden spoon if you dip it into the centre of the jelly and leave it for a few mins on the spoon. If you are using a sugar thermomether cook until it reaches 220F. When you think it is set, take off the heat and carefully skim off all the scum. I use a tablespoon spoon and bowl for this.
Using a clean jug and funnel if you have one pot up the jelly quickly, cover with jam covers or clean lids and leave until cold and set. Label as desired.
This is one of our turnips. I was amazed at the size of it. It made a lovely dinner, had a beautiful sweet taste.
