Crabapple jelly, usually the only product made with these very sour fruits
I am posting other crabapple recipes, but had to include this "old favourite" too, but with a bit of a twist. If you are not a fan of chilli, simply leave it out for a more traditional jelly
The recipe is for 1kg of fruit, which can easily be multiplied up if you have an abundance of these fruits
crabapples
1
kg
water
1
lt
cloves
2
pc
ginger
2
cm
chilli - any type
50
gm
jam sugar
500
gm
place a small plate or saucer into the freezer to chill down
place the whole washed, crabapples in a large pot with all the other ingredients (apart from the sugar)
bring to a boil and simmer without a lid for approx. 45 minutes for this amount (increase as required for larger amounts) until the fruit has softened and almost pulp like (the idea here is to extract the flavour out of the fruits into the liquid)
strain through a jelly bag overnight, allowing the juice to slowly drain and drip into a clean container, do not force or the final jelly will be cloudy in appearance. (the resulting pulp can be discarded or used for making crabapple "cheese" or "butter"
place the resulting juice into a heavy based saucepan (to prevent it burning) and bring to a simmer and reduce until 500ml remains
add the sugar and simmer gently, skimming off any scum that raises to the surface with a ladle or similar and discard (if allowed to remain the impurities will boil back into the mix and make the jelly cloudy)
simmer until a setting consistency is achieved, this can be tested after 15 minutes by taking the chilled saucer and pouring a tablespoon of the liquid onto it. You shoukd be able to draw your finger through it and two halfs should not joint back together again (or if using a thermometer simmer until bewteen 105 and 107C)
remove from the heat, remove any final impurities floating ontop, allow to cool slightly and pour into sterilised jars
chef notes
jam sugar is a convenience product that has a setting agent already added to it. Normal granulated sugar can be used, but getting it to setting point can be tricky and calls for extra simmering of the liquid, which can lead to burning if your not careful
the heat from the chilli will depend on the type of chilli used, how finely it is chopped and whether the seeds are included. For less chilli heat
split the chilli through the centre, remove the seeds and place the halves into the mixture
