Preparation of jellies
La Chambre reveals the tips and tools you need to make jelly with foraged berries or orchard fruit.
Ingredients
Since jelly is a mixture of sugar, fruit juice and pectin, the first step is to obtain the fruit juice.
For berries and other small fruits: burst and crush them in the preserving pan, cooking them gently over the heat. For larger fruits, cut them (with skin and seeds) and cook them covered with water.
Once the juice has been released, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth or a fine sieve, and leave it to drip overnight over a bowl to collect the strained juice. The jelly will be clearer than if you press it by hand straight away, which lets some pulp through.
The next day, bring the juice to the boil with an equal weight of sugar. Depending on the fruit (its pectin content and acidity level), it may be necessary to add a setting agent and lemon juice.
To check whether the jelly has set, do the cold plate test (place a drop of the mixture taken from the pan onto a plate that has been in the fridge for 5 minutes beforehand: if the drop sets immediately, the jelly is ready; if it runs, continue cooking) or monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
Pot up immediately into jars that have been sterilised beforehand.
