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Garden Apple Mint Jelly

Source of Recipe

From "The Farmette Cookbook" by Imen McDonnell


Recipe Introduction

"Our Sunday lamb roast would not be complete without a side of apple mint jelly. The apple cores are included in this recipe as that is where most of the natural pectin comes from."

List of Ingredients

• 4 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith), unpeeled, chopped into big pieces, including the cores
• 1½ cups lightly chopped fresh mint leaves, freshly chopped
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 3½ cups sugar


Recipe

Sterilize four 8-ounce jars. Put 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer (these will be used to test the setting later on). Combine the apple pieces, mint, and water in a large pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes, until the apples are soft. Add the vinegar, and return to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Use a potato masher to mash the apple pieces to the consistency of thin applesauce. Spoon the apple pulp into a couple layers of cheesecloth (or a large, fine-mesh sieve) suspended over a large bowl. Let strain for several hours. Do not squeeze. You should have 4 to 5 cups of resulting juice.

Measure the juice, then pour into a large pot. Add the sugar (â…ž cup for each cup of juice). Heat gently over low heat, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves and doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, using a metal spoon to skim the surface as necessary. Continue to boil until it reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer. Additional cooking time of anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour or longer may be needed, depending on the amount of water, sugar, and apple pectin in the mix.

To test, spoon a little jelly onto a chilled saucer, leave to cool, then run your finger through it. If it's done, it will "wrinkle." If this doesn't happen, boil for another 5 minutes, then keep testing and boiling until it does.

Pour the jelly into the sterilized jars within ¼ inch of the top and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.


Makes approximately four 8-ounce jars