Hedgerow jelly recipe

The rose hips are out and berries are ripe, it must be time to make wild hedgerow jellies.

Makes 7 – 8 x 225g jars

Ingredients:

1kg crab apples (or cooking apples)
1kg mixed hedgerow berries
Around 900g granulated sugar

Method:

1. Pick over your fruit, removing stalks and leafy bits and rinsing the berries if necessary.
2. Don’t peel or core the apples, just chop them roughly.
3. Place all the prepared fruit in a saucepan with 1.2 litres water.
4. Bring gently to simmering point and simmer until all the fruit is soft and pulpy. Remove from the heat.
5. Have ready a scalded jelly bag or muslin cloth and turn the contents of the pan into it.
6. Leave to drip overnight.
7. The jelly will turn cloudy if you squeeze the juice through so just let it drip at it’s own pace.
8. The next day, measure the juice – you will probably have about 1.2 litres, though this will depend on the berries used.
9. For every 600ml of juice, allow 450g sugar.
10. Put the juice in a large pan and bring slowly to the boil.
11. Add the sugar as it just comes to the boil and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
12. Then boil rapidly without stirring for nine to 10 minutes until setting point is reached.
13. Skim the jelly and pot and seal as quickly as possible.
14. Use within 12 months.

Variations:

Spicy Crab Apple Jelly
Use crab apples alone and add a few cloves and a couple of cinnamon sticks when the fruit is being cooked.

Rosehip & Apple Jelly
Use 500g rosehips, first blitzed in a food processor, and 1.5kg crab or cooking apples.

Rowan Jelly
Use 1kg rowan berries and 1kg crab apples. Add the juice of one lemon before adding the sugar. For a really aromatic jelly, add a bunch of sage or thyme when fruit is softening.