It’s that time of year when I instinctively begin to ration my homemade preserves. It truly is summer captured in a jar. In the photo, I’m holding one of my favorite concoctions: apply jelly infused with rosemary and punctuated with dried cranberries. Apple jelly is one of my unsung larder heroes, a jellied jewel of rich flavor. On the other hand, store-bought apple jelly is a diluted imposter, a bottled blob of sugared pectin with little flavor to speak of. There is a true bias in the jam world. When I leave a jar of raspberry jam with a friend, eyes lights up; parcel out some peach preserves and the cooing begins. But when I hand over my apple jelly, the reaction is similar to that of receiving a wrapped mackerel. Of course, that reaction is fleeting and rarely repeated if they open the jar. (A healthy dollop on a warm biscuit has freed many a preconception of the pomme’s place in jamland.)
7 responses so far ↓
1 Marconius // Mar 27, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Tom -
Have you ever experimented with spicier jams and jellies… perhaps a spicy chutney? I’m partial to the sweet and hot – like a plum jalapeno perhaps. Just wondering – and – love that blog!
2 admin // Mar 28, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Absolutely, I’m a huge fan of chutneys and usually make a spicy peach chutney, great with ham and chicken. I make a fall chutney with plums, pears, apples and quince that works just fine with a big old roast beef sandwich or block of cheddar. I’ll start including recipes shortly. -TC
3 Miffy // Apr 18, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Really cool pic!
4 Ann // Sep 14, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Tom,
Just found your site and looking forward to ripe peaches. Would you share your apple jelly recipe?
Many thanks
Ann (warm and humid in Boston, almost like mid-August)
5 Tom // Mar 18, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Hi Ann,
Here’s a link to my apple jelly recipe: http://tallcloverfarm.com/?p=117#more-117
yummy stuff!
Tom
6 Apple Jelly Recipe: Flavorful Chameleon // Sep 15, 2009 at 2:23 am
[...] sets it apart; adapability provides its charm. After I waxed on about its virtures in Jam Up and Jelly Tight, I forgot to share the apply jelly recipe. Here it is. (Any updates since original posting [...]
7 Confessions of a Reluctant Beekeeper // Mar 24, 2010 at 4:57 am
[...] two years ago: Jam Up and Jelly Tight [...]
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