Herb-flavoured apple jelly

Method

1. Roughly chop the apples, leaving the core and skin on, and place in a large preserving pan.

2. Cover with water, add the lemon juice and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour to an hour until the fruit is soft and pulpy.

3. Mash the cooked apples. Place the apple mixture in a freshly-scalded piece of muslin or jelly bag over a large bowl to drain overnight. Do not squeeze the bag or the juices will be cloudy; simply let the juices drip through.

4. The next morning, measure the reserved apple liquid and for every 600ml collected, weight out 450g of sugar.

5. Place the sugar, the apple liquid and chosen herb in a preserving pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves.

6. After the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil. Rapidly boil until a gel is obtained on testing. This can take anything from 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on how much pectin is in the jelly.

7. When setting point has been reached, remove any scum with a spoon before spooning into warm, sterile jars, filling to the brim. Cover with a wax disc and cellophane disc. Set aside to cool, then cover.

(Test setting point by dropping a few drops of the jelly onto a plate that has been in the freezer for 10 minutes. After you have dropped the jelly onto the plate, leave for a couple of minutes, then take your finger or the end of a spoon across the jelly. If it crinkles, setting point has been reached.
Alternatively, if you have time, boil the jelly and then cool overnight. You should see how set it is the next morning. If it is set well, re-boil and then pot in sterilised jars. If not, re-boil for another 20 minutes and test again.)