Yesterday the weather was lousy. So: on to some preserving.
I was busy yesterday. A batch of sourdough bread (two loaves); a batch of pumpkin soup, working my way through the remains of last year’s crop (frozen); and, of course, the main business of the day:
Apple jelly - using this recipe my 1.1 kgs of apples yielded pretty much exactly 3 jars of 2021-AP-00008, which is plenty for the year. Don’t get me wrong - it’s very nice, but others are rather better and a lot more interesting. I had hell setting this last year - this year it set in the blinking of an eye (well, ish). Strange. Maybe part of the difference is I have become very much influenced by my mentor J’s view that a runny jam which hasn’t had the volatile flavors boiled off is superior - so I’m aiming for barely set now.
Two batches of jelly in a day! The return of the mulberry! Using one of the 2 remaining frozen 2kg bags of mulberries and the recipe in post 11, I produced 4 jars of jelly and some bits and pieces (batch 2021-MU-00009). My opinion of mulberry is on the rise (and it got good reviews); so for these reasons this is my first LIMITED EDITION batch (very limited, as it happens). Jars individually numbered. I may yet sign the labels. This was always intended to be a giveaway batch (as Mrs T was giving it away before I had even made it) - it’s a real curiosity and, as I said, getting good reviews.
Speaking of barely set, I ran this one right to the limit. It’s barely set when refrigerated. Liquid at room temp. J would be proud. A bit of a fright - but it tastes great.
j
Note: regarding J and her mentoring, see the coelacanth jam thread for background.