If you are looking for various Elderberry recipes to experiment with, look no further than Wild Cottage.
Elderberry & clove cordial (also similar recipe here Elderberry cordial )
Blackberry & elderberry jelly
Elderberry wine
Elder bush remedies
Elderberry & ginger cold and flu remedy/cure all
The magic of elderberries
I'd love to know if you have any unusual elderberry recipes please.
I am adding new recipes all the time - please visit again.
Showing posts with label Jellies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jellies. Show all posts
Friday, 12 September 2014
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Seedless Blackberry Jam
The perfect blackberry jam - seedless, no pips and smooth !
However, it isn't quite a jelly as you use a setting point to create a spreadable jam, rather than leaving it a bit longer and creating a jelly that sets and wobbles. If you would like to make jelly, just let it boil a bit longer until your setting point test tells you that it's at 'wobble point'.
This is the ultimate taste of Autumn, and if you make enough of the jam, you can have it all year round.
I adore normal blackberry jam, but I also love smooth jams, as they have that extra special, melt in the mouth sensation... Although not as good as Galaxy chocolate !
Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients
6 lb / 2.75 kg Blackberries
1/4 pint Water
2 Lemons
6 lb / 2.75 kg Sugar - roughly
Method
1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water, the lemon rind and lemon juice into a large jam making pan.
2. Using a potato masher, mash the blackberry mix well, to extract the juice.
3. For every pound (lb) of blackberries, use 1 lb of white sugar (0.5 kg). Put the sugar into the pan and stir in thoroughly. Leave it, well covered to keep tiny winged critters out, for a couple of hours, until the sugar has drawn the juice from the blackberries, and you have much more liquid that when you started.
4. Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, not too long or it will start to boil and begin to thicken. Don't let it boil at this point. You may need to stir it to check for, and prevent, sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan. Keep the pan lid ON, to prevent any loss of your precious juice via evaporation.
5. Pour the now sweet mushy fruit mix through a small holed sieve, (or through muslin cloth for extremely smooth). Return the pip free, seed free, skin free juice to the saucepan (make sure it's cleaned from earlier to remove any stray seeds, insect body parts, bat wings and so on).
6. Turn the heat up (but not on full) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. (I use the cold plate in the fridge setting point method). Remember to remove the pan from the heat each time you do the setting point test, otherwise the test won't be accurate and you'll have a much thicker jam than you maybe intended.
7. Once setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and skim off any foam etc.
8. While the jam is still very hot, pour it into sterilised jam pots. Put the (also sterilised) lids on straight away while the jam is still very hot. This is so that, when the jam cools and contracts, it will take up less space in the jar. The shrinkage will create a vacuum at the top of the jar, between the jam and the lid. This will help to keep the jam long term, as bacteria cannot live in a vacuum (no air, nothing).
Just remember to NOT tip the jars at all, so that you keep the vacuum below any remaining air.
This will make around 8 or 9 jars of jam, depending on jar size. Well made jam can last for years, and this should be fine for at least 2 years. Jam tends to thicken with age, but the taste can improve sometimes.
This recipe is excellent for making early Christmas presents, or a gift for a friend. It's not everyday you can use one recipe to make both blackberry jam and blackberry jelly.
However, it isn't quite a jelly as you use a setting point to create a spreadable jam, rather than leaving it a bit longer and creating a jelly that sets and wobbles. If you would like to make jelly, just let it boil a bit longer until your setting point test tells you that it's at 'wobble point'.
This is the ultimate taste of Autumn, and if you make enough of the jam, you can have it all year round.
I adore normal blackberry jam, but I also love smooth jams, as they have that extra special, melt in the mouth sensation... Although not as good as Galaxy chocolate !
Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients
6 lb / 2.75 kg Blackberries
1/4 pint Water
2 Lemons
6 lb / 2.75 kg Sugar - roughly
Method
1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water, the lemon rind and lemon juice into a large jam making pan.
2. Using a potato masher, mash the blackberry mix well, to extract the juice.
3. For every pound (lb) of blackberries, use 1 lb of white sugar (0.5 kg). Put the sugar into the pan and stir in thoroughly. Leave it, well covered to keep tiny winged critters out, for a couple of hours, until the sugar has drawn the juice from the blackberries, and you have much more liquid that when you started.
4. Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, not too long or it will start to boil and begin to thicken. Don't let it boil at this point. You may need to stir it to check for, and prevent, sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan. Keep the pan lid ON, to prevent any loss of your precious juice via evaporation.
5. Pour the now sweet mushy fruit mix through a small holed sieve, (or through muslin cloth for extremely smooth). Return the pip free, seed free, skin free juice to the saucepan (make sure it's cleaned from earlier to remove any stray seeds, insect body parts, bat wings and so on).
6. Turn the heat up (but not on full) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. (I use the cold plate in the fridge setting point method). Remember to remove the pan from the heat each time you do the setting point test, otherwise the test won't be accurate and you'll have a much thicker jam than you maybe intended.
7. Once setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and skim off any foam etc.
8. While the jam is still very hot, pour it into sterilised jam pots. Put the (also sterilised) lids on straight away while the jam is still very hot. This is so that, when the jam cools and contracts, it will take up less space in the jar. The shrinkage will create a vacuum at the top of the jar, between the jam and the lid. This will help to keep the jam long term, as bacteria cannot live in a vacuum (no air, nothing).
Just remember to NOT tip the jars at all, so that you keep the vacuum below any remaining air.
This will make around 8 or 9 jars of jam, depending on jar size. Well made jam can last for years, and this should be fine for at least 2 years. Jam tends to thicken with age, but the taste can improve sometimes.
This recipe is excellent for making early Christmas presents, or a gift for a friend. It's not everyday you can use one recipe to make both blackberry jam and blackberry jelly.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Sloe Jelly
This is a very old traditional recipe and makes the most delicious tart jelly which has a multitude of uses, not least with your turkey for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving if you live in the states.
The recipe below has a ratio of 4lb apples to 3/4lb of Sloes, and this is quite heavy on the apples as many people find sloes hard to find. This year, in the west of Ireland, they are almost impossible to find as for some reason it has been a terrible year for them (the apple crop is also very poor).
I have various other Sloe Jelly recipes which have varying proportions of apples to sloes. They range from 1lb apples to 3lbs sloes, to the 4lb apples 3/4lb sloes one below, with various combinations in between.
I don't think it matters as all will work, just use what you have available and obviously which combination is mostly to your personal taste.
Sloe Jelly Recipe
3/4 lb of Sloes
4lb Apples
White Sugar (you can also use Jam Sugar for an easier set)
2 Lemons
1. Wash all the fruit.
2. Chop the apples and lemons into chunks. I always use organic lemons as they do not have the wax coating that non organic ones always have. I don't want chemical wax in my food !
3. Put the apples and lemons into a largish pan, and cover them with enough water to just about cover them, no more.
4. Bring the pan to the boil and then simmer for about 1.5 hours, until the fruit is completely like pulp.
5. Put the sloes in another pan, just about cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer them also until they are very pulpy and mushy.
6. Set up a jelly bag, or muslin cloth, over a large bowl or food grade plastic bin.
7. Once both pans of fruit are in a state of mush (I like that word), put the mush, pulp and all the contents of the 2 pans into the jelly bag/muslin cloth over the bowl.
8. Leave this for several hours, or even overnight, to drip through gently. Don't be tempted to hurry it and squeeze the bag, as you will just get cloudy yukky jelly.
9. Put the resulting fruit juice into a big clean pan.
10. Add 1lb of sugar for every 1 pint of juice (imperial pints UK, not US pints).
11. Heat this gently until all the sugar is dissolved.
12. Once the sugar is dissolved, bring the mix to a boil. Keep it boiling for 10 minutes and then test to see if it is setting.
13. Once setting point has been reached, allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then pour it into sterilised glass jars and seal them immediately whilst hot.
This, as usual, will keep for at least a year in a cool, dark place. It's best kept in the fridge once opened though.
The recipe below has a ratio of 4lb apples to 3/4lb of Sloes, and this is quite heavy on the apples as many people find sloes hard to find. This year, in the west of Ireland, they are almost impossible to find as for some reason it has been a terrible year for them (the apple crop is also very poor).
I have various other Sloe Jelly recipes which have varying proportions of apples to sloes. They range from 1lb apples to 3lbs sloes, to the 4lb apples 3/4lb sloes one below, with various combinations in between.
I don't think it matters as all will work, just use what you have available and obviously which combination is mostly to your personal taste.
I even have one which uses crab apples instead of normal apples.
In all cases you just chop the apples. Don't peel them and don't core them, just use all of the apple.
Sloe Jelly Recipe
3/4 lb of Sloes
4lb Apples
White Sugar (you can also use Jam Sugar for an easier set)
2 Lemons
1. Wash all the fruit.
2. Chop the apples and lemons into chunks. I always use organic lemons as they do not have the wax coating that non organic ones always have. I don't want chemical wax in my food !
3. Put the apples and lemons into a largish pan, and cover them with enough water to just about cover them, no more.
4. Bring the pan to the boil and then simmer for about 1.5 hours, until the fruit is completely like pulp.
5. Put the sloes in another pan, just about cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer them also until they are very pulpy and mushy.
6. Set up a jelly bag, or muslin cloth, over a large bowl or food grade plastic bin.
7. Once both pans of fruit are in a state of mush (I like that word), put the mush, pulp and all the contents of the 2 pans into the jelly bag/muslin cloth over the bowl.
8. Leave this for several hours, or even overnight, to drip through gently. Don't be tempted to hurry it and squeeze the bag, as you will just get cloudy yukky jelly.
9. Put the resulting fruit juice into a big clean pan.
10. Add 1lb of sugar for every 1 pint of juice (imperial pints UK, not US pints).
11. Heat this gently until all the sugar is dissolved.
12. Once the sugar is dissolved, bring the mix to a boil. Keep it boiling for 10 minutes and then test to see if it is setting.
13. Once setting point has been reached, allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then pour it into sterilised glass jars and seal them immediately whilst hot.
This, as usual, will keep for at least a year in a cool, dark place. It's best kept in the fridge once opened though.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Blackberry & Apple Jelly
Blackberry and Apple Jelly is sometimes called Bramble Jelly, which is a name I kinda like... it describes the time of year that these 2 fruits arrive and are plentiful, and the time of year when you spend most of your time preserving things for the winter and the year to come.
Kind of like Squirrel Nutkin, stashing away all manner of wonderful stuff to ensure that you have a pleasant and healthy winter ahead !
This is fairly easy to make and is incredible with chicken, turkey and even pork maybe.
Blackberry & Apple Jelly
3 lb Blackberries
2 large Bramley Cooking Apples (or any other cooking apples)
3/4 pint Water
Juice of 1 lemon
White granulated Sugar
Muslin cloth (or old tea towel or a jelly bag)
1. Wash the animals and dirt from the blackberries, being careful and only lightly rinsing, as you can easily wash away precious juice.
2. Peel, core and chop the apples.
3. Set the muslin cloth up over a large bowl. Make sure that the cloth is sterilised and immaculately clean.
4. Put the blackberries, apples, lemon juice and water in a large heavy bottomed preserving pan, and bring it to the boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer on a low heat for 20/25 minutes, until all the fruit is nice and soft.
6. Tip the whole lot into the jelly bag or muslin cloth over the bowl, letting the liquid drip through.
7. DO NOT SQUEEZE OR PRESS IT THROUGH.
8. Leave this to drip through, a minimum of 8 hours, no more than 9 or 10.
9. Use the dripped through juice and discard the rest onto your compost heap.
10. For every 1 pint of juice, use 1 lb of the sugar.
11. Put the juice and sugar back into the clean pan and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved.
12. Then bring it to the boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until setting point is reached.
13. Skim off any scum from the surface and pour the jelly into freshly sterilised jars, right to the top. Put the lids on straight away to create the vacuum and the seal while hot.
14. Store in a cool and dark place.
Kind of like Squirrel Nutkin, stashing away all manner of wonderful stuff to ensure that you have a pleasant and healthy winter ahead !
This is fairly easy to make and is incredible with chicken, turkey and even pork maybe.
Blackberry & Apple Jelly
3 lb Blackberries
2 large Bramley Cooking Apples (or any other cooking apples)
3/4 pint Water
Juice of 1 lemon
White granulated Sugar
Muslin cloth (or old tea towel or a jelly bag)
1. Wash the animals and dirt from the blackberries, being careful and only lightly rinsing, as you can easily wash away precious juice.
2. Peel, core and chop the apples.
3. Set the muslin cloth up over a large bowl. Make sure that the cloth is sterilised and immaculately clean.
4. Put the blackberries, apples, lemon juice and water in a large heavy bottomed preserving pan, and bring it to the boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer on a low heat for 20/25 minutes, until all the fruit is nice and soft.
6. Tip the whole lot into the jelly bag or muslin cloth over the bowl, letting the liquid drip through.
7. DO NOT SQUEEZE OR PRESS IT THROUGH.
8. Leave this to drip through, a minimum of 8 hours, no more than 9 or 10.
9. Use the dripped through juice and discard the rest onto your compost heap.
10. For every 1 pint of juice, use 1 lb of the sugar.
11. Put the juice and sugar back into the clean pan and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved.
12. Then bring it to the boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until setting point is reached.
13. Skim off any scum from the surface and pour the jelly into freshly sterilised jars, right to the top. Put the lids on straight away to create the vacuum and the seal while hot.
14. Store in a cool and dark place.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Blackberry & Elderberry Jelly
This is a heavenly, sharpish and almost free of cost jelly preserve, which is to die for with lamb or game meats, even chicken. It also goes well with a strong cheddar.
And the colour is like something Albert Irvin would like to use in a painting ! In case you never heard of him, he is my favourite abstract painter ever.
You can adjust the quantities, depending on how many berries you have picked. It is basically 1 lemon per 2lbs of fruit.
I use organic lemons because there is no wax or preservatives on the skin, and so you can safely use it for cooking. If you don't mind what chemicals you feed yourself - by all means use normal lemons.
Blackberry & Elderberry Jelly
2lbs Blackberries and Elderberries
1 organic Lemon
White Sugar
1. Squeeze the lemons to extract all the juice from them.
2. Put the lemon juice, the pips and the 2 skin halves into a large pan.
3. Add the berries.
4. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and stir well.
5. Cover the pan and simmer very gently on a very low heat for a few hours, until the berries are tender and very soft and squiggy. Do not be tempted to rush this on a higher heat, it will be ruined.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and crush the fruit with a potato masher.
7. Sterilise a muslin bag or cloth by pouring boiling water over it. Or do the same to a jelly bag.
8. Pour the fruit mixture into the jelly bag or the muslin, and allow to drain through at its own speed for 12 hours or overnight, into a non metallic container. Don't be tempted to squeeze it as you will cloud the jelly.
9. Measure the resulting juice.
10. Put the juice back into the clean pan and add 1 lb of sugar for every 1 pint of juice.
11. Heat gently, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
12. Now raise the heat and boil the liquid hard until setting point has been reached.
13. Pour the hot jelly straight into sterilised jars and put the lids on immediately.
Et voila - heaven in a glass jar !
If you are into preserving food from the hedges in interesting ways, and even in everyday ways, then this River Cottage cookbook is a kitchen bookshelf must. It has loads of jams and preserves in general, from things that are in many gardens and hedges.
Click here to see 'The River Cottage Preserves Handbook'
And the colour is like something Albert Irvin would like to use in a painting ! In case you never heard of him, he is my favourite abstract painter ever.
You can adjust the quantities, depending on how many berries you have picked. It is basically 1 lemon per 2lbs of fruit.
I use organic lemons because there is no wax or preservatives on the skin, and so you can safely use it for cooking. If you don't mind what chemicals you feed yourself - by all means use normal lemons.
Blackberry & Elderberry Jelly
2lbs Blackberries and Elderberries
1 organic Lemon
White Sugar
1. Squeeze the lemons to extract all the juice from them.
2. Put the lemon juice, the pips and the 2 skin halves into a large pan.
3. Add the berries.
4. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and stir well.
5. Cover the pan and simmer very gently on a very low heat for a few hours, until the berries are tender and very soft and squiggy. Do not be tempted to rush this on a higher heat, it will be ruined.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and crush the fruit with a potato masher.
7. Sterilise a muslin bag or cloth by pouring boiling water over it. Or do the same to a jelly bag.
8. Pour the fruit mixture into the jelly bag or the muslin, and allow to drain through at its own speed for 12 hours or overnight, into a non metallic container. Don't be tempted to squeeze it as you will cloud the jelly.
9. Measure the resulting juice.
10. Put the juice back into the clean pan and add 1 lb of sugar for every 1 pint of juice.
11. Heat gently, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
12. Now raise the heat and boil the liquid hard until setting point has been reached.
13. Pour the hot jelly straight into sterilised jars and put the lids on immediately.
Et voila - heaven in a glass jar !
If you are into preserving food from the hedges in interesting ways, and even in everyday ways, then this River Cottage cookbook is a kitchen bookshelf must. It has loads of jams and preserves in general, from things that are in many gardens and hedges.
Click here to see 'The River Cottage Preserves Handbook'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)