Apple Cider jelly

apple stem, originally uploaded by BakingSoda.

Recipe:
1 kg tart cooking apples
4 oranges
4 cloves
1 liter sweet cider
cold water
450 gr sugar used on 600 ml juice (measure juice, calculate amount of sugar to use)

Preferrably use organic fruit, otherwise scrub fruit thoroughly to get rid of any unwanted chemicals! Cut up all fruit, peels and cores and all. Using a large pot, add cloves and cider to fruit pieces and fill up with water. Use sufficient water to top the fruit, don't let it swim. Bring to a soft boil and let simmer for 1 hour or until the fruit is really soft. (water needs to be bubbling a bit).

Use either a jelly bag or a clean teatowel (double piece of cheesecloth) and a sieve above a bowl to extract all the juices. This can take well up to a couple of hours or maybe overnight (just cover and keep it on the counter).

Measure the juice and add sugar accordingly. Boil the mixture on low heat to dissolve sugar crystals, then up the heat to high and bring to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes (temperature needs to be 105C/220F. Watch out for splatters and boiling over, use a pot with high sides! You might want to get rid of any foam forming on the surface, use a skimmer.
To make sure the jelly has sufficiently thickened spoon a little on a very cold plate and see if it forms a nice jellied drop.

Proceed to can, I use sterilized jam pots and lids, pour the still boiling hot fluid in and tighten the lid, put them upside down for a couple of minutes and leave to cool.

This jelly is very good with pork, on toast, with breakfast and your Christmas Stollen, or use it in apple pie!

Other posts:
Apfelstrudel
Appel sinasappel gelei zelfde recept in het Nederlands
Apple-citrus syrup
Christmas Stollen!