Fall is the season where apples are plentiful and I couldn't resist trying my hand at jelly making.

My First Jelly Making Session


 We made crab-apple jelly from the flowering crab apple tree in our back yard.  First I stewed the apples in water until they were soft, and then I put them into a cheesecloth bag.  This bag was hung by string over a broom handle which was put on the edge of two counter tops.  There seems to be a debate among women on whether one should squeeze the jelly bag or not.  Some say it doesn't matter, while others say that you will get cloudy jelly if you do. I squeezed the jelly bag and my jelly came out looking like red wine.  I took one cup of juice and put in one cup of sugar and did this until all of the juice was in the pot.  The mixture was boiled for awhile and I put a little of it on a saucer and placed it in the refrigerator to see if it would gel.  I must admit that I threw some liquid pectin in for good measure.  Finally, when the jelly gelled, I put it in sterilized jars. A good way to sterilize the jars is to wash them and rinse them and put the jars into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I am passionate about Medieval things so here are some recipes using apples that I found at: http://medievalcookery.blogspot.ca/2010/10/american-as-apple-pie.html

Apple Tarts Medieval Style

Tartes of Apples with covers.  Mince your Apples very small, season them with Sugar, sinamon & ginger, and laye thereon a faire cover, and dresse your cover when it is halfe baked with Rosewater and Sugar.  [A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)]

Here from the same cookbook is a tart recipe where the apples are precooked in wine.  That sounds more promising!

Tartes of Apples without covers. Boyle your Apples very tender in a little wine, or for lack of Wine Ale, and then strain them with Sugar, sinamon and ginger. Make a tart of it without a cover.  [A Book of Cookrye (England, 1591)]

A much older recipe from Forme of Cury adds pears and dried fruits and saffron (that reminds me, I need to buy more saffron - a lot more).  There's no sugar or honey listed, though I suppose it could be part of the "spices".

For To Make Tartys In Applis. Tak gode Applys and gode Spycis and Figys and reysons and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed colourd wyth Safroun wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel.  [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)  

Scarecrow made out of a buoy

Apples at Belliveau Orchards