Hedgerow jelly

Forage from the hedgerows to gather fruits for this hedgerow jelly recipe. A little tricky to make it is worth the effort.

Makes 7-8 x 225g jars

Ingredients

Step 1
Pick over your fruit, removing stalks and rinsing if necessary. Don’t peel or core the apples as the peel and core are an excellent sources of the naturally occurring gelling agent pectin. Just chop them roughly.
Step 2
Place all the prepared fruit in a saucepan with 1.2 litres water. Bring gently to simmering point and simmer until the fruit is soft and pulpy.
Step 3
Remove from the heat. Have ready a jelly bag or muslin cloth and turn the contents of the pan into it. Leave to drip overnight.
Step 4
The next day, measure the juice – you will probably have about 1.2 litres, though this will depend on the berries used. For every 600ml juice, allow 450g sugar. Put the juice into a large pan and bring slowly to the boil. Add the sugar as it just comes to the boil and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil rapidly, without stirring, for 9–10 mins until setting point is reached. Test this by dropping a little jam onto a cold saucer. Allow to cool for a min then push gently with your fingertip. If it has formed a skin and crinkles a little, it’s set.
Step 5
Skim the jelly, pot and seal as quickly as possible.

Gather fresh berries from the hedgerow to make this fruity jelly/Credit: Getty Images

Polly Webster