Honey, apple and rosemary jelly

Makes around 1 litre Sauces and accompaniments

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Method

Cut the apples into quarters. Cut out the stalks and any blemishes. Roughly chop the apples and put into a large pan – skin, core, pips and all. Pour in 1.2 litres water and add the rosemary. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Ladle the mixture into a jelly bag suspended over a large bowl. Leave this to drip through the bag without squeezing it (3-4 hours is enough). Measure out the liquid and transfer to a pan. For every 500ml of liquid, add 250g sugar, 150g honey and the juice of 1 lemon. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar has dissolved by the time it is boiling. Meanwhile, put
a saucer in the freezer.

Boil the jelly mixture for around 10 minutes, then put a teaspoon of the liquid on the cold saucer and chill for 1 minute. Push the mixture with your finger and if it wrinkles, then it has reached setting point. This is known as the ‘wrinkle test’. If not, then continue to boil the mixture and test it every few minutes, cleaning the saucer and chilling it between times. It can take 15 minutes or so, depending on the balance between pectin, acid and sugar. Turn off the heat and leave to settle for 10 minutes.

While the jelly mixture is boiling, sterilise the jars. Thoroughly wash 3 x 350ml pots or 2 x 500ml pots (you need around 1 litre capacity in total) and their lids. Put them in the oven, set it to 110C/90C Fan/Gas 1⁄4 and leave for 10 minutes. Skim off any scum from the surface of the jelly, then ladle the jelly into the hot sterilised jars, filling them right to the top. Put the sterilised lids on immediately and leave to cool.

The jelly will set in the jar as it cools. Keep in a cool, dark place and eat within 1 year. Once opened, keep chilled.