Hedgerow jelly is a glorious ensemble of whatever edible fruits you can forage. It's a relatively fuss free method of preserving autumn's bounty in a most delicious and attractive way.
Rinse your foraged fruit in water. Chop any large fruit such as apples into rough pieces, ensuring any bad bits are thrown into the compost bin. There's no need to peel or core the fruit, in fact you want as much of it as you can get.
Throw everything into a large lidded pot. Add just enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to the boil with the lid on and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the fruit is mushy.
Set a jelly bag or muslin lined sieve over a large glass or pottery bowl. Pour in the contents of the pan.
Once most of the juice has drained out, suspend the jelly bag or tied muslin cloth above the bowl and allow it to drip overnight or for a good few hours. You want to extract as much as the juice as possible, but don't be tempted to squeeze the bag or your jelly will end up cloudy.
The next day, sterilise your jars and throw the leftover pulp into the compost bin.
Measure out the juice and for every 600ml (1 pint) add 450g sugar. I got 700ml and used 500g sugar.
In a large pan, heat the mixture gently until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring it to the boil. Remove any scum as it cooks.
Continue to boil until the jelly reaches setting point. This could be anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes. Mine set after 15 minutes. To test setting point, place half a teaspoon of juice onto a cold saucer or plate and push it with a teaspoon or your finger. If it wrinkles it's set, if it doesn't carry on boiling.
Turn the heat off and leave a couple of minutes for the bubbles to subside.
Pour or ladle into the hot sterilised jars. Cover with wax discs, seal and label.
Notes
The quantity you produce will vary according to how much fruit you've foraged.Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year and refrigerate after opening.
Please note: calories are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.