Apple Jelly

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10 to 12 quart nonreactive stockpot
• •Wide 8 quart stainless-steel preserving pan
• •Jelly bag or fine unbleached muslin
• •Large nonreactive bowl
• •Instant-read or preserving thermometer
• •Two freezer-safe saucers
• •Heatproof measuring jug
• •7 to 8 half-pint preserving jars with new lids
• •Boiling-water canner or deep stockpot with a rack
• •Jar lifter and canning funnel

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the apples

   Put two small saucers in the freezer for testing the set. Cut the scrubbed apples into eighths without peeling or coring them; the skins and cores carry much of the pectin this jelly needs. Remove the stems and any spoiled flesh, but leave the sound cores and pips intact. Do not crush the pips.

2. 2

   Draw the juice

   Put the apples and water into a large nonreactive pot. Bring them just to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the upper fruit through the liquid once or twice. Stop when the pieces are tender and beginning to collapse at their edges, but before they become applesauce. Overcooked fruit releases fine pulp that muddies the juice, so resist the masher. Light cooking is part of the dish, not brigade scaffolding.

   A tart, slightly underripe apple gives more dependable pectin than a sweet, mealy one. A mixture of sound cooking apples is excellent; perfection of shape is irrelevant.
3. 3

   Drain without pressing

   Dampen a jelly bag or two layers of muslin with hot water, wring it out, and suspend it securely over a deep nonreactive bowl. Ladle in the apples and their liquid, then leave them to drain by gravity for 1½ to 2 hours. Do not twist, squeeze, or press the cloth. If the juice has become cloudy, ça se rattrape: let it stand until the pulp settles, then pass it through clean damp muslin again, still without pressure.

4. 4

   Decant and measure

   Let the collected juice stand undisturbed for 20 minutes. A fine deposit will settle even when you have worked carefully. Pour the clear juice slowly into a measuring jug, stopping before the deposit reaches the lip, and measure up to 3 quarts (12 cups / 2.8 L). For every quart of juice, weigh exactly 13 oz (369 g) sugar and allow one-third of the vanilla bean. If your apples yielded less juice, reduce both in the same proportion; the ratio belongs to the formula.

5. 5

   Reach the set

   Pour the measured juice into a wide preserving pan and add the calculated sugar and vanilla. Warm gently, stirring only until every grain of sugar has dissolved, then bring the mixture to a full, brisk boil. Boil uncovered for 15 to 25 minutes, until it reaches about 220°F (104 to 105°C) at sea level, or about 8°F (4°C) above water's boiling point at your altitude. Test a teaspoonful on a frozen saucer: wait 30 seconds, then push it with a fingertip. The surface should wrinkle and the divided jelly should close slowly. If it runs together at once, boil for one minute and test again. Short tests preserve the apple's brightness; blind extra boiling darkens it and weakens the fresh flavor.

6. 6

   Strain the jelly

   Remove the vanilla pieces. Rinse the muslin with very hot water, wring it out, and line a warmed heatproof jug with it. Pour the finished jelly through immediately and let it fall freely, without pressing. Warm cloth and a warm jug keep the jelly fluid enough to pass cleanly. If it begins setting in the cloth, scrape it back into the pan, warm it only until fluid, then strain again through freshly warmed muslin.

7. 7

   Fill and process

   Pour the jelly into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ¼ inch (6 mm) headspace. Wipe the rims, fit the lids, and process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting the processing time for your altitude according to local preserving guidance. Lift the jars out upright and leave them untouched for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals, label the jars, and refrigerate any that failed to seal. The jelly may take a full day to reach its final tender set. Once it does, bring out the bread and butter. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose tart cooking apples, with some slightly underripe fruit if possible. Pectin declines as an apple ripens, so soft, very sweet fruit gives a weaker set even when the boiling is correct.
• •The source formula uses loaf sugar. Plain white granulated sugar is its honest home equivalent: both are refined sucrose, while granulated sugar dissolves more readily. Keep the book's ratio of 13 oz (369 g) sugar per quart of juice exactly.
• •Don't split or scrape the vanilla bean. The crosswise pieces perfume the jelly while keeping the black seeds out of its clear amber body.
• •Use a broad pan with ample headroom. A wide surface reaches the setting point quickly and preserves the fresh apple flavor, while a cramped saucepan encourages slow, dark overcooking.
• •A loose jelly can be returned to the pan, brought back to a brisk boil, and retested in one-minute intervals. Strain it through warmed muslin again before refilling clean, hot jars and processing them anew.

Advance Preparation

• •The apple juice can be extracted up to two days ahead. Chill it undisturbed, then decant the clear juice away from the settled deposit before weighing the sugar and cooking the jelly.
• •Properly sealed jars keep in a cool, dark cupboard for about a year. Refrigerate the jelly after opening and use it within one month.
• •The jelly needs 12 to 24 hours after processing to reach its final set, so make it at least a day before you plan to serve or glaze with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 20g)