Mint Jelly
From the book A Good Harvest - Recipes from the Gardens of Rural Women New Zealand. Published by Random House.
Another way to use up my rampant mint – and great with the leftover roast mutton!
Ingredients
- 1.6kg green apples
- 1 cup (50g) chopped fresh mint
- 1 cup (250ml) lemon juice
- 1kg sugar, warmed
- ⅓ cup (20g) chopped fresh mint, extra
Method
Cut apples into chunks. Place in a large pot with mint, lemon juice and 1.25 litres of water. Slowly bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 60 minutes or until the apple is soft. Stir to help break up any lumps. Cool.
Suspend a jelly bag over a large bowl. Pour the fruit liquid into the bag and allow the mixture to drip through the bag overnight or until there is no more liquid dripping through the cloth. Discard pulp.
Measure the liquid and place in a large pot. Add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of liquid and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Remove any scum during cooking.
Remove from heat and test for setting point by placing a little jelly into a plate which has been in the freezer. When this has been reached, gently stir through the extra mint. Stand for 5 minutes, or until the mint just stays suspended in the jelly.
Pour into clean warm jars and seal. Turn upside down for 2 minutes then invert and cool.