.............that Sue in Lancashire had on her blog so started collecting bits and bobs in a bag in the freezer. Apple peel and cores, a few squashy plums that were in a bag that I bought for £1 from a boot-sale (most were OK thankfully) and some blackberries picked from the other side of the churchyard.
Bought a lemon and made a drizzle cake then added the remains to the box.
Finally when I'd peeled the tasteless Charles Ross apples I added all their peelings too and had enough to almost fill my big jam pan.
Covered with water and brought to boil, then simmered for the rest of the morning, I mashed everything several times with a potato masher.
When I strained through a jelly bag it made nearly 4 pints of quite a watery liquid, which seemed rather a lot so I tipped all the juice back into the jam pan and heated and simmered for a couple of hours to reduce it.
Eventually added the sugar and boiled to setting which made 6 jars of lovely dark red jelly.....I'd put 5 out in the freezer room cupboard before I remembered a photo, the jelly looks black, but hold it up to the sun and it really is dark red.
Two jars will be used in the Christmas happens and I think I'll make scones soon so I can try the jelly on top - better buy clotted cream!
Not sure I will make it again because, although the ingredients were free, it took quite a bit of electric for cooking and I'm not a huge jam eater anyway. If I do make it again next year I'll use less water at the beginning.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
It's a brilliant idea, isn't it? Like you, I don't get through much jam, so it's not something I'll be making but if I did, I definitely would. xx
ReplyDeleteYes great idea to use up everything that would normally be chucked in the compost bin. I used to make loads of jams and chutneys, but not anymore - like you, we hardly eat it nowadays.
ReplyDeleteIt's a splendid idea. What does it taste like?
ReplyDeleteI hope the jelly tastes good after the work involved. I’d eat it with some cheese on lovely seeded bread. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThe jelly looks a wonderful, rich colour:)
ReplyDeleteUsing all the fruit bits and bobs to make jam is a great idea. Your jam looks excellent. A scone with jam and clotted cream will be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSounds tasty, will give this a try, have already begun freezing some left over lemon and apple peelings.
ReplyDeleteShould taste lovely and have a good pectin rate...full of vitamins hopefully! x
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Truly frugal, waste not etc. Does it thicken on its own, from the apple peels' pectin?
ReplyDeleteI like making apple jellies with a variety of foraged fruits, elderberries, rose hips, blackberries, bullaces, sloes, and mirabell plums.
ReplyDeleteWith quince and medlars I strain the cooked fruit through muslin for jelly, then sieve the remaining pulp and simmer that with sugar to make a stiff fruit paste.
I like a teaspoon of jelly or jam on full fat Greek style yoghurt, which we buy in litre pots, for an easy pudding.
Not sure I like the sound of that! :)
ReplyDeleteMissed this yesterday. I used to make various vegetable wines by saving the peelings in the freezer. Waste not want not.
ReplyDelete