Recipe Crab Apple jelly with Red Currants

Crab apple jelly with red currants (recipe from Pauline's Pantry)

For people who are lucky enough to be able to lay their hands on some ripe crab apples: here is a recipe that combines the sweetness of crab apple jelly with the tartness of red currants. A winning combination!

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of ripe crab apples (they are ripe when the pips inside are black or dark brown)

• 500 grams of red/white currants (you will have to save them from earlier in the year in your freezer as they ripen so much earlier than crab apples
• 1 kg white sugar

Method:

• Cut the crab apples in quarters, no need to remove stems or anything else

• Put them in a large saucepan with enough water to almost cover them
• Bring to boil
• Boil gently until apples are soft (about 10 minutes)
• Wait until cool enough to handle
• Put a piece of muslin in a colander over a large bowl
• Put the apples and the water they boiled in, into the colander
• Leave a few hours or overnight to drain
• Then gently lift the muslin to remove the apple pulp
• Do not squeeze the muslin to get more juice out. It is tempting, but it will make your jelly cloudy.
• Measure the amount of liquid you have harvested, it should be about 1 litre
• Put sugar and the liquid in a jam pan
• Bring to the boil while stirring continuously until all sugar is dissolved

• Boil on high heat for about 10 minutes
• Add the currants, and bring back to the boil
• Boil for another 15 minutes or until it sets.
• Test the jam for setting by putting a little bit on a freezing cold dish. If you can see wrinkles when you pull your finger through the jam, it is ready
• Pour into sterilised hot jars and seal immediately.

This recipe makes about 7 small jars. They keep for years. The colour varies from soft pinks, sunny yellow and soft orange to red, depending on which crab apple you use. Mine are Huon Crab apples and they make a brilliant bright red jelly.

Enjoy!