Apple or Crabapple Jelly

Ingredients

• 15 lbs apples (sour or tart or crab)
• water, cold
• 1 1/2 lbs sugar
• fresh mint (optional) or 2 dashes mint sauce (optional) or green food coloring (optional) or cloves (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Wash 15 pounds of tart apples and quarter without peeling.

2. 2

   Place in a preserving pan, just cover with cold water, and simmer gently until soft and tender.

3. 3

   Drain through a jelly bag.

4. 4

   Shift the pulp gently occasionally to keep the juice flowing; do not force the juice through as this will make the jelly cloudy.

5. 5

   Measure 32 fluid ounces of juice into a 12-quart pan and boil for 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the sugar and boil for 5 to 8 minutes longer, or until a drop jells on a cold plate. Pour into hot clean jars and seal.

7. 7

   Continue cooking 32 fluid ounces at a time until all the juice has been used.

8. 8

   Use the pulp for making an apple cheese.

9. 9

   MINT APPLE JELLY: Cook a few sprigs of fresh mint with the apples when preparing to extract the juice. [1 or 2 drops of mint sauce may be used if fresh mint is not available.] Add a few drops of green food colouring and mint sauce just before pouring into the jars. Avoid adding too much flavouring and colouring.

10. 10

    SPICED APPLE JELLY: Tie a few whole cloves in a piece of muslin. Drop into the juice at the beginning of cooking and only remove when jelly is poured into the jars.