Recipe Categories
Pickling & Jelly
Jelly3
James's Peppercorn Apple Jelly
6 pounds Cooking apples; skin, core pips and all; washed and cut in chunks
2 Lemons; cut in half
2 Wine glasses of white wine or cider vinegar
1 Fresh chilli pepper; chopped optional, for hotter taste
Water to cover
White sugar (3 lb maximum)
2 ½ ounce Tin green or black pepper corns; drained or not, as preferred
1 Wine glass cider or white wine vinegar
Put the apples, lemons, wine and optional chilli into a preserving pan. Just
cover with water and simmer until the fruit is a mushy pulp. Strain through a
jelly bag or double muslin, leaving it to drip overnight. Don't squeeze the bag
to speed it along as this will cause the jelly to cloud. The following day
measure the liquid by pints (20 fl oz per pint) into the pan. Measure out the
sugar, calculating 3/4 lb of sugar for every pint of liquid. (3 pints/60 fl oz
is the maximum quantity that is comfortable to handle. If you want to make more
jelly do 2 separate batches rather than double up on the amounts given here.)
Reserve the sugar. Add the peppercorns and wine or cider vinegar to the liquid.
Heat gently and when warm strain out the peppercorns and set them aside for use
later. Pour the previously measured sugar into the liquid and stir over a low
heat until the sugar is *completely* dissolved. Add a drop or two more vinegar
if the flavour seems too bland. Then boil hard until the jelly sets (when a few
drops on a cold plate crinkle when pushed with your finger). Remember to take
the pan off the heat while testing. Remove any scum and stir in the reserved
peppercorns. Leave to cool for about 15-20 minutes or until the jelly has begun
to thicken and the peppercorns float throughout the jelly when it is stirred.
(If you are using the full 3 pints of liquid it may take up to half an hour for
the jelly to reach this stage but be patient: if the jelly is potted when it is
still hot the peppercorns will rise to the top of the jar as the jelly sets.)
Pour into warm, dry jars, cover with waxed discs and seal with cellophane or
screw-on lids