Mint, Sage and Rosemary - Herb Jelly

i finally made my jelly! it turned out so pretty! i havent tasted it yet properly, but i will soon. i am thinking of using it mainly with roast meat, like duck would go really well with sage, and am also thinking of using it like a glaze, especially the rosemary, on a roast lamb. oh, and some of the mint jelly is destined as gift to my boyfriends family :)

it was really fun. and a bit intimidating - but thats how first times usually are

i adapted a recipe from Sue Ruchels book - Windfalls

for this recipe you can pretty much substitute any herbs you like!

Basic Herb Jelly Recipe

2kg apples, halved

water to cover

1-1 and 1/2 cups of white vinegar

3/4 cup of sugar per cup of fruit extract
2 cups of herbs (of your choice

1. place apples in a large pot and cover with water.
2. boil until the apples are soft, but try not to let them get mushy
3. add between 1 and 1 and a half cups of vinegar depending on the sweetness of your apples
4. strain the cooked apples through a jelly bag (you can use muslin strung up between the legs of an upturned stool - this step may take hours - up to overnight depending on your patience) into a very large bowl
5. measure the resulting liquid and add the appropriate
amount of sugar and stir on low heat until dissolved
6. bring to a hard boil until it reaches set - it will go a golden colour and bubble up quite high, so be prepeared with a large pot
7. add the herbs about 5 minutes before bottling so the heat helps to extract the flavour

i was a bit worried during the cooking that my apple extract was cloudy, but it cooked really clear. i was so excited when it became clearer and clearer and more golden as i cooked

mint jelly

my next adventure into preserves is going to be herb jellies! i think mint and sage. i love herbs! i use fresh herbs in my cooking almost always. i especially love going out to the garden and collecting little bunches of different herbs - rosemary, sage, thyme (i especially love thyme), lemongrass, mint - whats not to like? herbs are fragrant and punchy and add so much to food!

Shame theres not much fruit in season at the moment. i'd really like to get into making fruity sweet jams. i am doing my best to use fruits in season; i feel like this is one of the main reasons to make preserve in the first place - being able to use fruits and veggies that were kept at their best for use when there is not as much fruit or veg around.

anyway, all i have to do before making my next batch is to find some jars! anyone know of a good place to find/buy jars for jams? if you do drop me a line :)