How to make crabapple jelly

by Nik on September 16, 2008

Crabapples

Crabapple jelly is a classic autumn jam. It’s easy to make and requires very few ingredients – just crabapples, sugar and water. The biggest job you have is cutting up the apples, after which you need to set aside a little time on two consecutive days to turn them into jelly, leaving the mixture in between them to drip overnight.

What is the difference between a jelly and a jam? A jelly is traditionally clear, and made with the juice of hard fruits such as apple and quince. A jam contains bulk from the fruit itself, and is usually made from softer fruits, such as black currants, apricots and pears. In the US and some other countries, of course, jelly is a more generic term used to describe all fruit preserves.

Crabapples are small red or yellow apples that can often be found growing wild at this time of year. They are perfect for jelly making and don’t require any added pectin to set, but are no good for eating raw.

Ingredients Crabapples Sugar Water	Equipment needed Large pan Knife Hob or stove Wooden spoon Scales Measuring jug Plate

Wash your crabapples and cut them into quarters (right). There is no need to core them or remove the stalk before doing this. Neither should you peel them. All of these parts that would usually be removed add to the results and won’t appear in the jelly as the mix will be strained to extract the juice without including any of the bulk of the fruit. Drop the quarters into a pan (preferably a dedicated jam pan) and add sufficient water to just cover them.
Bring the mixture to the boil and then reduce the temperature to take it down to simmering point. Leave it simmering until the fruit has softened and been reduced to a pulp. You may need to stir from time to time to help it break down, and should keep an eye on it to ensure that it doesn’t dry out and stick to the bottom. If it is starting to get too dry, add a little more water, but be careful not to dilute it too much.
You now need to extract the juice from your pulp, which you do by straining it through a cloth. Ideally you should use a muslin bag here, which you would support on a dedicated stand (see right). These can be bought from many cookware shops. If you can’t get hold of one then you may be able to use a clean tea towel tied over the legs of an upturned stool. Put the pulp over a large bowl and leave to drip overnight. This will start quickly as a constant trickle, but soon slow down. When it does, resist the urge to squeeze the pulp to extract more liquid, or your jelly will be cloudy. This is not what you want; crabapple jelly should be clear.
The following morning, measure the liquid in the bowl and return it to the jam pan, which you should have cleaned in the interim. Add 450g (1lb) of sugar for every half litre (1 pint) of liquid. Stir well and bring it to the boil, being very careful to never allow to sugar to burn on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes and then test for setting by spooning a little of the mixture onto a plate taken from the fridge. Allow to cool and then run your finger through it. If it rucks up in front of your finger, it has reached setting point. If not, boil longer.

If you have a thermometer, the jelly should be ready to set once it has reached 105 degrees Celsius, so you can gauge its suitability this way.

Once ready, pour into sterilised jars, place a circle of waxed paper on each one and seal using a wetted cellophane sheet and elastic band. If you plan on using lids, screw them into place now, being careful to avoid scalding yourself on the hot jar.