Mulberry and apple jelly
This Jelly is made from mulberries and Bramley apple windfalls.
We are lucky enough to have a mulberry tree in our garden it is over a 100 years old and it still bears fruit. Be warned you will look like a mad axe man after picking mulberries, the juice runs down your arms as you pick the fruit. I am sure it would make an excellent natural dye. The finished jelly looks very similar to blackberry and apple but the flavour is much more subtle.
Mulberry hands
Makes 3lbs
Ingredients
675g/ 1 and 1/2lbs cooking apples
1.4kg/3lb mulberries
warmed sugar (the amount depends on the amount of liquor once it has been strained)
mulberries
muslin or jelly bag and something from which to suspend it
Instructiions
1.Wash the apples. cut out the bad bits and then cook them with the mulberries and 850ml/1 pint of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for one hour until the fruit is soft.
2. Tip the contents of the saucepan into a scalded jelly bag and suspend over a non metallic bowl. I left mine overnight.
3. Pour the strained juice into a measuring jug and put into a pan with 450g/1lb of warmed sugar for every pint/570ml of juice.
4. Heat gently stirring all the while until the sugar has dissolved. Boil hard for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and ladle into clean warm jars. Seal and label. Store in a cool dark dry place.
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