Post in collaboration with Electronic Temperature Instruments
Preserve the taste of Summer into Autumn with a recipe for Spiced Apple and Rosehip Jelly. Nothing tastes better than free foraged food from the hedgerows. It's the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. The leaves are turning, the nights are drawing in and the hedgerows are laden with berries. This is the time of the year where my thoughts turn to preserving. The combination of fruit, sugar and jam jars enables you to enjoy the Autumn harvest for months to come. Of course when it comes to jelly and jam making there's the complex process of reaching the correct "setting point". Too hard and you won't be able to spread it on your toast but too runny and it will be dribbling off the edges.
When I first started making my own jams and jellies I used the tried and tested method that I'd seen my Mum use over the years. Namely the wrinkle test on a cold saucer. I then moved on to a sugar thermometer but the level of the mercury can be tricky to read and you can end up going beyond the point of setting. Both of these methods are far from foolproof in achieving the magic number of 105 degrees centigrade. I've had a Thermapen Cooks Thermometer for a couple of years now but for some reason had never thought to use if for preserving, although I always use it for roasts and BBQ's. However when Electronic Temperature Instruments asked if I'd like to put the new Superfast Thermapen 4 through its paces by developing a recipe, the time of year meant that preserving was top of my to do list. Cooking apples from my Mum's garden and Rosehips foraged from the hedgerows combine with warming spices in this tasty jelly which works equally well spread on toast or pancakes as it does as a condiment in sandwiches or alongside meat dishes.
SPICED APPLE AND ROSEHIP JELLY
800g Rose Hips
1.5kg co*king Apples chopped (no need to core or peel)
2 Lemons Sliced
30g Ginger Root - sliced
1/2 tsp Cloves
2 x Cinnamon Sticks
Granulated Sugar - 450g for each 575ml of juice
Wash the rosehips and remove any stalks, leaves and dead flower head remains. Place in a jam pan, or a large soup pan, along with 2 pints of water. Simmer for 30 minutes and then give them a good mash with a potato masher to break them up.
Add the apples and a further 4 pints of water to the pan along with the sliced lemons, ginger, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further hour.
Strain for at least 2 hours in a jelly bag. Don't be tempted to push it through or you will get a cloudy result.
Measure the resulting juice and add sugar in the proportions of 450g for each 575ml of juice. (if like me, you still work on imperial measurements at this stage it's 1lb sugar for every 1 pint)
Dissolve over a gentle heat and bring to a rolling boil until you reach setting point of 105°C (220°F)
Pour into sterilised jars and seal.
I was really impressed with the performance of the New SuperFast Thermapen 4 Cooks Thermometer. It is even more intuitive than my existing model. The temperature display automatically rotates through 360 degrees so you can see it at any angle. My left handed son found this really useful as he's normally trying to read the display on our existing one upside down. There's also a handy backlight which turns on automatically. Great for when the light is poor or for outdoor use at BBQ's. If you need a boost of light just cover the sensor with your finger. There's a motion-sensing sleep mode which automatically turns the Thermapen 4 on or off when you pick it up or put it down. It will stay on all the time you are using it, but the sleep mode will save battery life which comes in at 3000 hours in normal use. Close the probe when you’re finished and the Thermapen 4 turns off for storage.
Its easy to see why the SuperFast Thermapen is the UK’s number one selling food thermometer. High-tech, yet fast, accurate and easy to use over the range of -49.9 to 299.9 °C. The true temperature of a product can be tested in just three seconds, over 50% faster than traditional probes. The stainless steel, penetration probe conveniently folds back through 180° into the side of the instrument when not in use. No stabbing yourself when you rummage in the drawer for it. The Thermapen 4 is priced, at £60 and is available in ten vibrant colours direct from www.thermapen.co.uk
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Disclosure: This is a commissioned post for Electronic Temperature Instruments. As always, all views expressed are my own.
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