Gardening & Crab Apple Jelly

Mini disaster - March winds?

Garlic, Spinach, Spring onions, Mint, Bay tree,

Large pot (left) ready for new potatoes

A peony popped up beside the bird bath
& Cosmos seedlings growing in the front

The beans are still growing, slower outside as its still cold yet

and finally my new crab apple tree

One of my favourites to grow and to use is Crab apples, so I purchased a new crab apple tree for our new home, and one day when she's grown into a tree we will have delicious crab apples. You will be able to find this recipe in my Family Cook Book once it's published....So here's a recipe for the jelly.

• 4 kg crab apples
• 1 kg caster sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced

Makes 6 x 500ml jars

1.Wash the apples, removing any bruised fruit. Put in a saucepan, fill with water to just cover the apples.

2.Bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft (about 30 minutes).

3.Pour the pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin and let drip overnight into a pan. Do NOT squeeze the bag or it will make the juice cloudy.

4.The next day, measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

5.Keep at a rolling boil for 40 minutes, skimming off the froth. To test the set, chill a dessertspoon in the refrigerator.

6.When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon. Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool dark place.

ENJOY!