The Poultry Keeper

Mel · Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Gosport, Hampshire

What is the difference between jam and jelly?
Also what do you eat the jelly with or does it depend on the fruit?

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1316 Location: Leicestershire

Hi

Jam tends to be made with the whole fruit whereas jelly is made from the strained juice. Jellies are very good made with fruits that would generally be too fiddly to prepare using the whole fruit e.g. it's pretty easy to make jam from plums - you just need to stone them to prepare them, but something like crab apples it would be impossible to trim them up so they are cooked whole and then hung up in a jelly bag or some muslin or an old teatowel and the juice drips out and is collected and then next day measured and made into a jelly. Jellies tend to be quite wasteful especially if you want a nice clear jelly and don't squeeze the bag, so they are good to make when there is a glut. A lot of jellies are good with meats - crab apple again is excellent with pork and chicken, even though it's sweetened it still retains it's sharpness, I've got in my store cupboard :- elderberry & crab apple, sloe & crab apple and probably blackberry & crab apple, and they get eaten sometimes with cold meat and sometimes spread on bread.

I've put a recipe on an earlier thread for jelly using whatever is available I think it was under the title "Hips, Haws & Berries - something like that. - It's in the "Grow Your Own" section

Itsybitsy Wink

P.S. Today I have made 40 jars of Apple & Mint Jelly

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: South Cumbria

Could you post the recipe for the mint jelly please Thank you

nigel · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject:

I made rosehip and apple jelly this week

NannyP · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:34 pm Post subject:

I'm just looking forward to next year when I can try out some of these recipes.
The jelly's sound lovely Very Happy

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1316 Location: Leicestershire

Apple & Mint Jelly

6lbs Apples - any but you do need some sharp ones in there for the pectin
2 & 1/2 pints Water
2 Bunches of Mint
2 & 1/4 pints vinegar (white makes it look better)
Sugar

Roughly chop apples & remove any really bad bits, into a pan with the water and a bunch of mint (can't see the point in that cos the flavour boils away but it's in the recipe). Simmer until soft, add vinegar & boil for 5 mins. Cool a bit and then put all in a jelly bag and hang overnight. Next day measure juice add 1lbish sugar per pint of liquid*, stir to dissolve sugar, bring to boil and keep at a fast rolling boil till setting point is reached, while it's boiling chop the other bunch of mint. When setting point is reached turn of the heat and skim all the c##p that has accumulated round the sides, stir in chopped mint, leave it to stand for 15 mins stirring occasionally. Pot.

*When I made mine today I had 13 pints of juice and used 12lbs sugar

Itsybitsy Wink

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: South Cumbria

Thanks got some Bramleys given and got loads of crab apples so that's tomorrows job Wink

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1316 Location: Leicestershire

I'm doing Quince Jelly now, I think I will do some crab apple too, if I can find some good ones, there are various trees around with fruit on this year but it's getting the right ones.

Itsybitsy Wink

p.s. - use plenty of chopped mint at the end, I didn't really use enough but it was all I had.

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: South Cumbria

Thanks I have loads in the garden so not a problem