Tasty Sage Jelly

i did the taste test and its good!
im so glad :) we had some roast pork and the sage jelly went with it really well.
it didn't quite set firm, but it is still quite a good texture. the sage flavour wasnt too strong, it complimented the sweet and sharp jelly better than i expected
yay!

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

herb jelly!

tomorrow is the big day!
im making sage jelly and mint jelly (maybe thyme, maybe rosemary)
how exciting!
i found some really cute jars today at the shops (the reject shop actually lol)
i am also procrastinating and not doing uni work... but at least i will be being productive :)
hope it goes well!

more cupcakes

i also made some really good orange cupcakes for my boyfriend's nephew's 2nd birthday party!

i thought i'd put a photo up because they were so pretty and yum...

jammy cupcake adventures!

last weekend i was having a baking kind of day, so me and my sister decided to make some experimental jam drop cupcakes!
we used a normal butter cake recipe and nice rasberry jam (sadly, i didnt make it, but im sure when rasberry season comes around i will!). we also made some chocolate jammy cupcakes in the same way but with a tablespoon or so of cocoa in the batter...
they turned out very tasty

Jam Drop Cupcakes

250g Butter
250g castor sugar
4 eggs
250g self raising flour
vanilla
rasberry jam (or whatever jam takes your fancy!)

cream the butter, sugar and vanilla
add the eggs and beat in one at a time
add flour and mix until combined
drop a tablespoon full into cupcake cases
make an indent and spoon about one teaspoon of jam into the top of the cakes

cook in a moderate oven for 15 minutes
mmmmmm tasty

tough rinds?

has anyone else made lime marmalade and had the rinds turn out a little tough? mine were, but as the marmalade gets older they are softening. i have a theory that its something to do with the sugar - maybe the lime mix was a bit hot when i dissolved the sugar and it partially candied the peels? any ideas?
happy preserving!
here is the recipe i followed for Awesome Lime Marmalade

lime marmalade

and some photos of my lime marmalade!

tastes so good i ate it with a spoon after. im so proud of my efforts!